So this is it, our final post as Silhouette is now in the care of new owners. Mixed emotions all round for sure but what an adventure we’ve had in the last 8 years together. Of course Silhouette’s will continue as the new owners are moving onboard full time to explore the Mediterranean, we know with love & care she will do her duty of taking them wherever they want to go in safety and style. The start of the adventure Back in 2015 our plan was in general to not have a plan except to step outside our comfort zone and explore parts of the world we would never normally see. Together with our ..read more

Royal Air Force refuelling Santa ! Since we arrived, the weathers generally been great with blue skies and temperatures up to 26 degrees. This time last year we were hunkered down on the south coast of the U.K. with the heating on full . We know into the new year the temperature will drop a bit but still way better so smiles all round. Christmas Day looks like sun & 19 degrees…. That’ll do nicely Our girls together again We’ve had Beth & Harper (2nd daughter & granddaughter) onboard for a week. Charlotte & Beth went off on their own leaving us with grandparent duties which w ..read more

Huge ships everywhere! We were warned the bay of Gibraltar was very busy with commercial shipping, when the bay opened we were amazed how many ships were there. Some were at anchor but many were moving slowly and they were all really big! On top of this there were ferries darting about too so we concentrated on our route across to Ocean Village marina. As our mast was above a certain height and we were heading towards the airport runway, the pilot book states that we must call ahead on the vhf to request clearance to transit the area. This proved to be a bit of a joke as shipping we’re calling ..read more

Leaving Sines at first light, we once again set our route to the 20 metre contour line (this was getting boring now) and head to cap St Vincente the southwestern tip on mainland Europe. Just in front of us was a Danish yacht that had left about an hour before us, following pretty much the same course. This was an uneventful mix of motoring and some sailing as we approached the cape. In 2018 we rounded the cape in light winds which became 25 knots very quickly, so this time we were prepared & dropped the mainsail leaving a deeply reefed genoa. Unfortunately the Danish yacht hadn’t been her ..read more

Once out past the headland just to the west of Baiona we started our journey south ensuring we were at 20 metres or less as much as possible. Sometimes this looked like we could touch the shore but was in fact at least a half mile offshore. The prevailing winds down the coast are from the north and so close in meant any breeze was very light… you guessed it more motoring! Our first stop was Póvoa da Varzim which we first visited back in 2018. Back then the marina was scruffy and in need of major renovations but it was extremely cheap due to an ARC discount of 50%. There were plans for a new m ..read more

Leaving À Coruna under storm clouds Leaving A Coruna with dark clouds brewing behind, we sailed around to Ria Camarinas in mixed conditions meaning it was a case of motoring and sailing in only 10kts of NW breeze for the 51 miles, where we anchored for 1 night. Having done this back and in 2018 we know the trip south is going to be a mix of motoring & sailing especially as we’re going to be sailing “very” close to the shores where the prevailing winds are light. We have no choice though because of the risks of contact with Orcas. The Rias are stunning & you could spend an entire season ..read more

Having waited (not very patiently) for a window to cross Biscay, finally one “appeared” to arrive. The plan was to leave Salcombe and head west/southwest out into the Atlantic and after 24 hours turn south for À Coruna. There was a small low pressure developing in Biscay which I’d hoped to sail just north of and then grab the breeze down the back of it all the way south. Jeremy on Right Turn had the same idea and duly left from Plymouth at the same time. I say at the same time but he sneaked out an hour early… boy racer!! Unfortunately there had been some strong winds from the west a few days ..read more

June was full of north easterly breezes which would’ve taken us across Biscay easily. By the time we got to Salcombe the winds began blowing from the south west and got stronger. Every time we looked at the computer models, Biscay looked dodgy, & that is a place you don’t want to get caught out in. So we’ve been in Salcombe enjoying the beautiful area making the most of the lovely walks for Nala along with socialising….. a lot. Visits from our “honorary” daughter Bethany & “honorary” granddaughter Harper, cousins Lee & Julie who sailed down from Beaulieu (24 hours well done guys ..read more

We’ve a fixed departure date to restart our adventures!! When we originally left the UK in 2018 we certainly never thought we’d be leaving the UK “again” 5 years later!! Sailing certainly is writing plans in the sand at low water. This time though we have the restrictions due to the UK leaving the European Union. This means we’re restricted to 90 days within the “Schengen” zone then must leave for 90 days. Not at all helpful when a large part of the Mediterranean is part of the Schengen zone. There are always options though, so we won’t be put off by this and the Mediterranean sea is our next ..read more

I distinctly remember saying we wouldn’t pad this blog out with unnecessary content just to remain relative. I didn’t think the posts would be so sporadic though!!! Ok, here we go….. We spent the winter in the Port of Poole marina & what a great bunch of people the staff are from the dock masters all the way to the marina manager Kerrie who is an absolute pleasure to deal with. Winter on the south coast of the UK isn’t great though and I recall saying we wouldn’t spend another winter in the UK when we left in 2018, oh well never say never I guess. The replacement of the teak deck caulking ..read more