Around Ria Arousa 42:36.25N 08:56.00W Pobro do Caraminal 11th July. At this stage of the game we are starting to see yachts for a second time in new places and, quickly, distant waves become friendly chats and then visits to and from other yachts. The friendly Dutch couple we met in Portosin came to us …

To the end of the Earth – Finisterre Faro 42:54.56N 9:15.36W Sunday July 5th dawned clear bright and windless. Two arrival procedures are becoming a noticeable pattern in our cruising. Firstly the need to see Zoonie through a first night at anchor especially if there is a fresh wind, before venturing ashore and leaving her. …

Corunna to Corme to Camarinas 43:15.6N 08:57.8W Corunna to Corme With hand bilge pump fixed we have discovered the black water tank macerator pump needs to be self-priming as it has to suck air before the effluent gets to it and ours is not that kind of pump, so maybe that’s why it has never …

Depeche-toi Etienne Thursday 18th June 2015 46.55.60N 06.59.95W  The position is where we are now, nearly half way to La Corunna, but let’s go back briefly to Plymouth. There were thirteen elements to our refit and some significant discoveries. The new standing rigging we had requested included removing the tensioner from the split back stay …

Rising Gales and Pulling Sails   50.34.25N 02.27.13W.  Weds 10th June 2015   A rising gale up our tail brought us around to Portland in brisk style and we tippy toed carefully through a fine fleet of International racing dinghies including Lasers, 470s  (they’re fast), skiffs (they’re even faster) and cats (blimey). We have moored …

The Winds of Change I am sitting comfortably on Zoonie, our forty foot long Oyster sailing yacht, in Port of Poole Marina where we are temporarily moored on the south coast of England for just a few more weeks before our big journey begins. Last Saturday Rob and I hosted a big retirement party for …