World Tour so far

Hollinsclough - Is the World Round?
Sat 1 Dec 2012 12:00

Hollinsclough World Tour

Where ever we have travelled it is the people who have made the distance so special. Parots and penguines, camels and monkeys, marlin and whale, ice of glaciers and fire of volcanoes. Every day is an adventure.

Sailyacht Hollinsclough left England beginning 2007, from the Oyster yard for a South coast run to the Irish Sea. Douglas, Isle of Man for the 100th celebration of the motorbike TT 130mph laps and an island party. Solar panels, wind turbine and blue water cruising gear bolted on.

 

South to France, Brest for a turn left and summer in Biscay. The Glenan Isles, stones of Carnac, La Rochelle, sand dunes of Archachon and Biarritz for the surf. Basque carnivals and bullfighting, 270 West for the Spanish Maine, Santander, Bilbao, La Coruna.South to Portugal for Lisbon and Cascais.

 

Algarve Spain, Cadiz and a salute on our trumpet to Nelson at Trafalgar. Tangier North Africa, dates and camels before a turn north across the Strait to Gibraltar for an English Christmas. Restocked food suplies of rice pudding and baked beans at Morrisons. Two New Years in one with a walk across the Spanish border for the hour change.

 

Mediterranean taster, Benemedina, Toramolinous and Malaga to meet the Dakar that was not. Easter 2008 in the Canaries, Days of carnival Tenerife then a moutain top snow photo on Tiede. Gran Canaria volcanoes, Futerventura desert and all west for the whistling mountains of Gomera.

 

Cape Verdi Islands, giant tuna and sail fin marlin monsters in the water, a spring crossing of the Equator with Portaguese Men of War floating by in purple splendour. Fifty degree temperatures of daytime and wild light in the dark evening ocean from phospherant plankton. 

 

South America for summer 2008 arriving Fernando de Noronaha Island, swimming with Nemo and the turtles. Cabedelo, mangroves, mud rivers monkeys and crocadiles on the north Brazilian coast, Recife, Salvador for maintainance. Abrolhos bank, mating season of the humpback whales, Abrolhos Islands, truely remote and remarkable diving in the reefs. Rio to say hello to the Chief Girl Guide and dance Samba, City life and new batteries. South to Florianopolis a great yacht club and onto surf lessons with seals and sea lions at Uruguay.

 

River Plate past Montivedeo and the Graf Spey wreck to Buinos Aires. City of football, Maradona and Tango. Back to Punta del Este Uruguay for the Western Hemisphere Snipe sailing contest, Christmas on the beach and Gala New Year in the yacht club below a crechendo of fireworks.

 

Down the Argentinian coast, Puerto Madryn land of the Orca, the warmest welcome ever. San Julien to see the relica of Magellans galleon. Arrived Chile at Punta Arenas, penguines, dolphins and right Whales. Goodbye to the Atlantic. Straits of Magellan, Fairway lighthouse and a fantastic tour up the remote Pacific fijords of Patagonia. Glaciers, first Humbolt penguines and giant albatros. Puerto Eden Chile, first town in two months then Puerto Montt for autopilot repairs. Joined the 100 year Guia Girl Guide celebrations at Puerto Varas, inland visit to the volcanoe of Osorno.

 

Waiting for good wind, edged north up the Pacific South American coast, first sight of big pelicans, Valdivia for the river boat club. New gearbox parts from America and Australia. Bus tour five hundred miles inland through vine yards for time in the Capital City of Santiago. Too long in Chile so a bus into the Andes for passport stamps in Argentina. Time in the snow at Bariloche and back to Valdivia.

 

Bound South Pacific on the Spring southern hemisphere trades for Rapu Nui Easter Island, Pitcairns, Tahiti, Fiji but too long waiting for spare parts and wind turns.

 

September decisions to come about, make use of the southern hemisphere summer, return Patagonia for the fantastic glaciers of the big mountains and aim for Christmas in the Falklands. Restock the rice pudding and baked beans.

 

First a look in at the Pacific Island Juan Fernandez, famous home of Alexander Selkirk, Robinson Crueso. South proper for Conception, friendship of the Chilean Navy at their school EG. Return port was Puerto Montt, restock and maintenance for Patagonia. Guests on the Armada ship  PSG Micalvi, city marathon run for fitness and then very special friendship and prayers with the sisters of the convent of Carmelite.

 

South though the Patagonian Glaciers, Puerto Williams and down to Cape Horn. Around the Horn proper on the sails. A dash in the big winds for Island Staten, Straights of le Mare and to the Falklands. Blighty at its best, restocked Baked Beans, rice pudding and corned beef. Friendship and support aplenty.

 

Falklands for South Georgia, nature at its finest, albatross in the sky, fur seals on the beach, elephant seal beach masters and penguins of every variety. We could see the weather developing around us in the lenticular clouds of the Southern ocean Skies.

 

Southern Ocean convergence zone of South Pole water bound Tristan de Cunha for Cape Town

 

Disaster strikes, World press reports of Titanic Ice Berg collision with British Yacht.

 

Luck of  God, English warship HMS Clyde on station South Georgia, Lt Commander Steve Moorhouse and  his crew plucked us out of the icey waters.

 

Repatriation to Falklands and made family of the Royal Navy. To take stock of a tremendous adventure for which we must thank God for the good fortune of our rescue.

Time with freinds on the Falklands then Military Air Bridge flight to Ascension Islands, recovery in the warmth for turtle egg season.

Another Military Air bridge flight to Brize Norton England. Home to Derbyshire just in time for girls to finish summer term and take in speach day at Repton to present the maths homework jotta saved from the Souther Ocean.

A Blighty English summer of tourism local, from ocean to Land for life aboard Mr Whippy the camper van.

Girls back at Repton School September 2010, Autumn work on the book for a tale of adventure from Robinson Crueso island to Ice bergs damage in the Southern Ocean.

Sail yacht Hollinsclough

 

Everyday is an adventure.

 

Hollinsclough {CHANGE TO AT} mailasail {DOT} com