As my loyal readers and supporters know, 2 years ago, I sailed single handed to the Azores where we had an enjoyable summer cruise and then I returned with my two old friends Malcolm and Judy as crew. Re-reading the blog entries and the subsequent account I published in Roving Commissions (aka Journal of the Royal Cruising Club), I have been reminded how terrible the weather was on the way out! 

Why on earth would I want to do something like this again?

No easy answer to that! Last time was about an ambition going back to my youth to do a single handed ocean passage, it was about a challenge in retirement and it was about proving (to myself) that I had fully recovered from a head injury 4 years earlier. This time it is different. I dont feel any need to prove anything to myself and I dont want to be challenged too harshly!

However I am starting next week! Single handed to Lisbon (750 miles, perhaps a week at sea) where Emily will join me for the next 750 miles to Lanzarote. The first leg should (in average weather!) be a bit easier that the Azores trip as there is less West in the course. However there will be much more shipping and probably for the last 200 miles fishing boats as well, so sleep management may be much harder - back to 20 minutes at a time. The second leg should be warm, sunny and the wind should be behind us! We will fly home from Lanzarote for a month and return in July with our regular crew mate Susanna. We have not completely decided if we will stay in the Canaries for the winter or if we will come back as far as Madeira, but the boat will be away from home until this time next year.

Part of the reason for the complexity of our cruising plans is because we are in the very happy position of being busy! Not for us a retirement of sitting in the arm chair, getting up to cut the grass once a week! Top priority of course is family and especially our 4 lovely grandchildren. I am still a Colonel Commandant of the RAMC which takes a bit of time as does my involvement with the Worshipful Company of Barbers in London, where I am very privileged to be a member of the Court, serving on some of the committees as well as attending some superb dinners. Then we both (Emily more then me) have a number of local voluntary roles. And yes, the garden which Emily works so hard at. Finally, there is Henley and a trip to Glyndebourne all competing for time!

Several people have already shown their support and interest, so I will try and keep the blog going. I have told some of you the email address and it is lovely to hear news and encouragement - but no attachments as they will be stripped off by the server.

More news when I get started next week!

Peter