A year afloat: to the Caribbean and back

Last minute jitters

Sam and Alex Fortescue

Sun 21 Nov 2010 13:57

The big day dawned cloudy with unexpected rain. The days ahead are forecast to be sunny with low winds until we're down to about 20 degrees north, when we should pick up some cracking trades.

Nerves are showing all round. Will and I sought solace in artistic expression, painting our logo on the marina wall next to Tilly Mint. A minor disaster with plumbing arrangements has been fixed and the whole system is the better for it. Graham is scampering around doug some crucial last minute jobs.

Meanwhile, the port has erupted into a noisy cacophony of dubious pop (including Wave Your Flag - hmmm), fog horns, brass bands and general cheering. The big boats are first out. We're co-ordinating departure with our neighbours to avoid grid lock.

The start gun goes at 1, but we'll be happy to cross before quarter past. We can make the distance up over the next month and it's not worth risking a t-boning in the harbour.

It's going to be a relief to be off...

Sam Fortescue
sam {CHANGE TO AT} sam fortescue.co.uk

Blog Entries

2011

Sep 2011

Mon 19 Sep 09:14
- Over, but not out

Aug 2011

Mon 22 Aug 18:58
- Quite a welcome at Poole Town Quay
Fri 19 Aug 12:22
- Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand hooooooooooo!
Thu 18 Aug 11:57
- This is Falmouth Coastguard...
Wed 17 Aug 12:28
- Of rain, plenty of it, and signs of land. And bread.
Tue 16 Aug 09:54
- Mouse in the mast
Mon 15 Aug 11:55
- Woolly weather in the final approaches
Sun 14 Aug 11:53
- Butting our way through dull grey waters
Sat 13 Aug 10:37
- Six hundred miles from the Lizard
Fri 12 Aug 11:17
- Cynthia the sqid strikes mahi...
Thu 11 Aug 14:39
- The tunny strikes twice...
Wed 10 Aug 18:49
- Captain's log: supplemental
- Flapping through the night
Tue 9 Aug 14:44
- Walking a watery tightrope
Sun 7 Aug 17:40
- Mountaineering through the hydrangea forests of Faial
Sat 6 Aug 12:50
- Sten and Rosemarie, Sea Week and Portuguese hip-hop: a busy day
Thu 4 Aug 22:01
- Cloud bound on Pico
Wed 3 Aug 20:08
- Peek o' the volcano? Sadly not yet...
Mon 1 Aug 23:58
- Hiking through the hydrangeas on Flores

Jul 2011

Sun 31 Jul 19:20
- Photos from the Atlantic
- Land ho!
Sat 30 Jul 15:47
- Thar she bloooooows... Hard 'a port!
Fri 29 Jul 15:55
- On a blistering spinnaker reach
Thu 28 Jul 17:07
- Slow boat to Flores
Wed 27 Jul 15:44
- First signs of civilisation, steaming up astern
Tue 26 Jul 14:19
- From fair winds to foul.. and back again
Mon 25 Jul 17:24
- Neptune unleashes his minions
Sun 24 Jul 14:42
- The Midatlantic Scrabble Circle
Sat 23 Jul 17:29
- Eeeeeeeeeeek, splooooosh, pfffffffffffffffffffft...
Fri 22 Jul 15:35
- Humming along in the sou'westerlies
- Summer Daze of Chris
Thu 21 Jul 15:21
- Frolicsome fish fear fry-up
Wed 20 Jul 14:38
- Of swimming with the tuna and flying a woeful spinnakoo
Tue 19 Jul 17:45
- Scudding along through turquoise seas
Mon 18 Jul 15:18
- Life on the crest of a (big) ocean wave
Sun 17 Jul 17:45
- Atlantic-ho
Sat 16 Jul 16:58
- Into the Atlantic...
Fri 15 Jul 18:29
- Living like a Kennedy for a day in Martha's Vineyard
Sun 10 Jul 22:46
- Exploring Nantucket - the last of our American islands
Sat 9 Jul 00:34
- Whale hunting on passage to Nantucket
Fri 8 Jul 00:56
- position update
Wed 6 Jul 21:45
- FOG!
- Of flies and yah hairdos
Mon 4 Jul 03:08
- Keeping up with the Gatsbys in East Hampton
Fri 1 Jul 03:11
- Alex's birthday in Manhattan
- Position update

Jun 2011

Mon 27 Jun 16:52
- Statue of Liberty, Manhattan... Hell's Gate
Sat 25 Jun 19:10
- Neptune's breath and the crustacean's revenge
Fri 24 Jun 02:27
- Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzzz. Pssssssssshhhhhhhhhh!
Thu 23 Jun 13:17
Wed 22 Jun 19:02
- Position update
Tue 21 Jun 03:57
- Pictures from Washington
Mon 20 Jun 04:38
- Walking through Washington
Sat 18 Jun 05:33
- In Annapolis with Anna
Fri 17 Jun 21:40
- A blistering sail at last
Wed 15 Jun 23:49
- Swimming with the crabs in the Venice of the Chesapeake
- Goodbye Graham, hello America
Sat 11 Jun 23:26
- Sweet home Virginia..
Fri 10 Jun 13:54
- Bristling with weaponry
Wed 8 Jun 04:04
- Safe and sound in the Chesapeake
Mon 6 Jun 16:43
- It was a Dark And Stormy Night... no, really
Sun 5 Jun 15:48
- Mission Control, we have Gulf Stream. Repeat...
Sat 4 Jun 18:51
- The Girl Who Played with Lightning
Fri 3 Jun 16:12
- Donking north under blue skies, with thoughts tending south
Thu 2 Jun 21:00
- Leaving the Caribbean behind
Wed 1 Jun 19:03
- Edging north into the Gulf Stream

May 2011

Tue 31 May 16:46
- Back at Nassau HQ with Graham
Sat 28 May 16:55
- Colours of the Bahamas photos
Fri 27 May 23:49
- Another one that got away
- Wandering around Warderick Wells
Thu 26 May 02:44
- Outraged of Summer Song: Rain
Tue 24 May 12:52
- Swimming pigs and slippery fish
Mon 23 May 16:48
- Three colours, turquoise, white and green
- Snapshots of the Bahamas
Sun 22 May 01:38
- Sharks, conches and shipmates
Fri 20 May 23:35
- A whole day of fishing, but nothing to show for it
- Position update
Wed 18 May 23:24
- Over the Yellow Bank when no-one was looking
Mon 16 May 22:00
- Going to America
Sat 14 May 18:55
- Vegas in the Tropics
Thu 12 May 17:07
- America... back on
- America or bust... hmmmm, bust please
Wed 11 May 14:50
- Honeytraps and hairdos
Mon 9 May 14:14
Sun 8 May 13:04
- Anchored up in the middle of nowhere
Wed 4 May 23:19
- Pelican ahoy...
Tue 3 May 02:41
- Radio silence...

Apr 2011

Fri 29 Apr 17:03
- Perfecting socialist society under the eyes of the imperialist hegemon
- in the heart of Old Havana
Sun 24 Apr 01:24
- From Cuba's worst to Cuba's best
Tue 19 Apr 13:16
- Like born snorkelers
Sun 17 Apr 13:16
- Just like home...
Sat 16 Apr 14:36
- In Cuba... but not actually IN Cuba
Thu 14 Apr 15:26
- Guillermo shoots... and scores! Two-nil to the Cubans
Wed 13 Apr 18:22
- Please fasten bikini straps as we make our final approach to Cuba...
Tue 12 Apr 19:45
- Cuba off the port side, as far as the eye can see...
Mon 11 Apr 14:00
- Unmarked coral, fine on the starboard bow!
Sun 10 Apr 17:11
- Motoring along under wide, empty skies
Sat 9 Apr 11:47
- Wallowing off the Dom Rep
Fri 8 Apr 19:07
- Sailing on past Puerto Rico, where the mahi-mahi leap
Thu 7 Apr 00:09
- One last day of decadence in the capital-imperialistic BVI
Sun 3 Apr 20:50
- Not first... but not quite last, either.
Sat 2 Apr 23:17
- Nanny Cay racing update

Mar 2011

Wed 30 Mar 13:42
- Reeling them in one by one...
Mon 28 Mar 19:42
- The Escapees get ready to race
Sun 27 Mar 04:24
- Sliding on to Tortola to meet HMS Benelux
Fri 25 Mar 20:08
- A giant grown-up's playground
Thu 24 Mar 20:01
- Spinnaker, fish and fine weather... all the good things in one day!
Wed 23 Mar 20:20
- Sint Maarten or St Martin?
Sat 19 Mar 18:22
- Rocking and rolling all night long in Saba
Thu 17 Mar 00:08
- Trifecta of immigration issues
Mon 14 Mar 18:50
- First foot on Cuban territory
Sun 13 Mar 17:03
- Arm wrestling with the bureaucrats
Fri 11 Mar 22:20
- End of Eden
- Photos from Montserrat
Tue 8 Mar 00:49
- Of volcanoes, cousins of brothers-in-law and barracuda
Thu 3 Mar 23:59
- 50 miles and a week later...
Tue 1 Mar 23:38
- The Caribbean returns...

Feb 2011

Sun 27 Feb 22:44
- Africa, fine on the port bow...
Thu 24 Feb 12:45
- Chilling in English Harbour
Tue 22 Feb 12:21
- HQ arrives in Antigua...
Sun 20 Feb 21:01
- Shipshape and awaiting inspection
Sat 19 Feb 00:41
- A whale past turtle o' clock?
Thu 17 Feb 00:05
- Goodbye Pointe a Pitre, hello Jacques Cousteau
Mon 14 Feb 21:17
- The apples of love...
Fri 11 Feb 00:14
- Guadeloupe proper, in style
Wed 9 Feb 15:43
- Bang. Crash. Sploosh. Now, repeat.
Sat 5 Feb 21:27
- To the Boiling Lake and back
Thu 3 Feb 23:15
- Getting down with the Midnight Groovers
Wed 2 Feb 23:05
- The most beautiful island yet?
Tue 1 Feb 20:43
- The croaking of a million frogs

Jan 2011

Sat 29 Jan 22:32
- Grockles and white sandy bottoms
Wed 26 Jan 14:47
- Bathing in the cloud forests
Mon 24 Jan 19:21
- Grockled up to le max
Sat 22 Jan 23:00
- Hitching a lift en francais
Thu 20 Jan 16:51
- Slack jawed with yokelish wonder
Tue 18 Jan 18:21
- Township rebellion... and nice waterfalls
Sun 16 Jan 14:59
- Anchored in the shade of a volcano
Thu 13 Jan 13:47
- Where the frigate birds soar
Mon 10 Jan 22:56
- Of squalls and chewy conches
Sat 8 Jan 22:52
- As far as the eye can see... underwater
Fri 7 Jan 16:24
- Of lubbers and lobsters
Tue 4 Jan 23:23
- Fresh pressed recruits
Sun 2 Jan 18:04
- And then there were two... but not for long

2010

Dec 2010

Thu 30 Dec 23:34
- Of cocoa and volcanoes
Tue 28 Dec 18:26
- Tabitha finds her sea legs
Sat 25 Dec 11:34
- Throw another barracuda steak on the barbie
Fri 24 Dec 13:20
- On south past the Grenadines
Thu 23 Dec 12:26
- Bathing in sulphur springs
Tue 21 Dec 23:05
- Two landmarks in one day
Sun 19 Dec 22:39
- Sliding in 28th overall
Sat 18 Dec 13:59
- Rodney Bay
- Photos 3
- Photos 2
Thu 16 Dec 17:22
- Photos at last - part 1
- Day 26 - Rum Punch for breakfast
Wed 15 Dec 17:02
- Day 25 - Land hoooooooo!
Tue 14 Dec 15:24
- Day 24 - Of nerves rediscovered and spinnakers
Mon 13 Dec 15:48
- Day 23 - Wafting along under blue skies
Sun 12 Dec 13:50
- Day 22 - Derring do on the high seas
Sat 11 Dec 13:30
- Day 21 - Things that go whooosh, bang, arggggh in the night
Fri 10 Dec 12:38
- Day 20 - Some competition at last
Thu 9 Dec 14:09
- Day 19 - All aboard the briny rollercoaster ride
Wed 8 Dec 14:39
- Day 18 - White water rafting
Tue 7 Dec 12:36
- Day 17 - Black, bloody mutiny, sir!
Mon 6 Dec 14:15
- Day 16 - Reflections from the Blue
Sun 5 Dec 16:21
- Day 15 - Closer to America than Africa
Sat 4 Dec 10:09
- Day 14 - What about the rest of the crew?
Fri 3 Dec 14:19
- Day 13 - spinnaker calms
Thu 2 Dec 15:47
- Day 12 - of flukes and fins
Wed 1 Dec 12:33
- Day 11 - Trades at last!

Nov 2010

Tue 30 Nov 11:29
- Day 10 - Motoring with the fishes
Mon 29 Nov 13:15
- Day 9 - Go WEST!
Sun 28 Nov 13:01
- Day 8 - Wind! Oh, no, my mistake...
Sat 27 Nov 12:49
- Day 7 - Off with the high horse, on with the donk
Fri 26 Nov 16:08
- Day 6 - Flukey winds and raw bonito
Thu 25 Nov 14:16
- Day 5 - Swimming with the dolphins
- Day 4 - Squid and spinnakers
Tue 23 Nov 13:29
- Day 3 - supplemental
- Day 3 - Reeling them in (boats not fish)
Mon 22 Nov 11:30
- Day 2 - approaching Morocco
Sun 21 Nov 13:57
- Last minute jitters
Sat 20 Nov 10:30
- The there were four... and a half
Wed 17 Nov 08:37
- Fogbound in London
Tue 16 Nov 10:04
- Stepping up a notch
Sun 14 Nov 18:05
- Then there were three
Sat 13 Nov 11:17
- Surf's up...
Fri 12 Nov 09:51
- Safe for sea
Tue 9 Nov 19:52
- Three months... and we've made it to the start line
Mon 8 Nov 18:17
- Man 0 Beast 2
Sun 7 Nov 18:37
- Back in the saddle
Sat 6 Nov 19:44
- Of orchids and hasty departures
Fri 5 Nov 10:59
- Forty miles and a world of difference...
Wed 3 Nov 19:24
- And still the winds blow...
Mon 1 Nov 19:10
- Tinned peas have neveer been so much fun

Oct 2010

Sun 31 Oct 18:28
- Mini break in Porto Santo
Sat 30 Oct 18:15
Thu 28 Oct 15:40
- Wind at last
Wed 27 Oct 21:23
- Thar she blows!
Tue 26 Oct 19:49
- Just me and the Dark Lord
Sun 24 Oct 00:21
- The lights of Lisbon at last
Thu 21 Oct 19:15
- Joao, Joao...
Wed 20 Oct 20:57
- Into a fish!
Tue 19 Oct 21:42
- Not smiling any more...
- Inching south again
Sun 17 Oct 18:24
- Pictures from the Rias Bajas
- Two days in porto
Fri 15 Oct 07:44
- Things that go bump in the night...
Wed 13 Oct 20:25
- Taste of the Caribbean
Tue 12 Oct 18:25
- Martini sailing at last...
Mon 11 Oct 21:17
- Martinis on the foredeck...
Sun 10 Oct 19:00
- Yesterday New Zealand, today Norway
Sat 9 Oct 19:29
- Peering over the parapet
Fri 8 Oct 18:25
- Inching closer to the end of the earth
Thu 7 Oct 20:23
- More squid
Sun 3 Oct 15:41
- Photos!
- Of squid and DVDs

Sep 2010

Thu 30 Sep 08:27
- Wind on the nose... again
Tue 28 Sep 18:57
Fri 24 Sep 09:00
- San Vicente de la Barquera
Mon 20 Sep 15:33
- On the Spanish main
Sun 19 Sep 08:55
- Something goes splash in the night...
Wed 15 Sep 13:38
- Catching some Rés
- Position update - Ile d'Yeu
Thu 9 Sep 22:45
- Sandy bottoms in Noirmoutier
Wed 8 Sep 18:07
- Across the Maginot line
Tue 7 Sep 16:53
- 30s chic in La Turballe
- What? Houat...
Sat 4 Sep 09:52
- Three nights in Belle Ile

Aug 2010

Tue 24 Aug 09:34
- On the beach
- Another world in the Glenans
Sun 15 Aug 09:12
Fri 13 Aug 16:49
- Moules au curry
- All nighter
Wed 11 Aug 18:55
- On our way at last!
Mon 9 Aug 22:23
- Aiming for the water... and missing
Sun 8 Aug 21:35
- Explosion in a sail factory
Sat 7 Aug 22:15
- Sanding the hull

Jul 2010

Fri 23 Jul 11:47
- Ten more days to go

Last minute jitters

Blog Entries

Mon 19 Sep 09:14

Mon 22 Aug 18:58

Fri 19 Aug 12:22

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Tue 16 Aug 09:54

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