Dear supporters, sponsors, followers, friends, family, helpers, loved ones and well wishers, It is with great regret and humility that I have to succumb to the frank realisation that when it came to the challenge of sailing solo around the world, I was not strong enough for it. My respect for those elite 300 people … Continue reading An Open Letter
Two rules on setting sail: 1. Never set sail on a Friday, or so it is often said; and 2. Depart when the weather is right not when your plan says you should. After a slight delay to give a presentation on aSwtS at the Southampton Boat Show, I had set my departure date for … Continue reading Storm Clouds & Silver Linings
Having returned to Falmouth from Hayling Island, where Coralee had her bottom re-CopperCoated, I was most definitely on the home straight in terms of setting off. With some work still outstanding, I was targeting early September as a departure window. At the time I was engaging with a few media outlets to try and get … Continue reading Departures
Come late June I had made it to Falmouth. On arrival, and after putting Coralee to bed, I popped straight up to the Turn to Starboard office, to say hello and let everyone know that I was safely in the marina. With one of the T2S boats out, I had slipped into her berth and … Continue reading Juggling berths, naughty bottoms, and racing
After finishing the work on Coralee which needed to be done in the shed at Hayling Yacht Company, I had planned to move her down to Falmouth via Portsmouth, staying in Gosport only for a few days to prep her for sea and sort out a few things. A month later I was still in … Continue reading The home of sailing
The last few months have been, to say the least, busy. I could write a few pages just on the list of work that I have been progressing through - after all the 'to do list' is over two-and-a-half pages of A4 paper. Regardless of the necessary work done on Coralee, I have been lazy … Continue reading Boat ownership: learning lessons
Director: James Marsh 12A 1:41 hours 4 stars With thanks to the Daily Telegraph and their Readers' Offer, I was fortunate enough to attend a preview of Jamie Marsh's new film, The Mercy - a portrayal of Donald Crowhurst's ill-fated entry into the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. The race, launched by the Sunday Times … Continue reading Review: The Mercy (film, 2018)
When I tell people that I'm planning to sail around the world they are generally very interested, excited and enthusiastic - which is really heartening. When I tell them that I'm planning on doing it alone the reaction changes. This can be to shock, awe, surprise, or bewilderment, so perhaps that's one reason why solo … Continue reading Being Alone
I certainly consider myself to be lucky to have been born in the United Kingdom, to have been given a good education, and to have had the opportunity to learn to sail. Of course I'd like to believe that I work hard, but no-one imagines himself as lazy and like everyone, I can be caught … Continue reading Giving something back
Other than a few weekend sailing trips with friends and the move of Coralee from Lymington to Hayling Island, I had done no significant sailing since May 2016. The magnitude of my plan to quit work and sail around the world was starting to bear down on me - was I dreaming of a different … Continue reading Reaffirming one’s faith
