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.
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