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Sailing around Great Britain
July to September 2009
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Unknown Victoria 30 on the River Yealm - 25 July 2009 |
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I spent much of the past summer on a Bavaria 46, circumnavigating the British Isles with two other "learners" and a rotating cadre of instructors.
We left London July 5, headed down the Thames and kept turning right until we got back to London 12 weeks later.
We got as far north as Shetland, after stops along the Channel, Isle of Wight, Southern and Northern Ireland.
We were chased out of Lerwick in short order by a threatened gale that actually became a storm shortly after we got back to mainland Scotland.
Heading north, it was a story of running from gales or hiding from gales, with some pretty good sailing in between as a series of lows swept in from the Atlantic.
Heading south in the North Sea, we had a few gales until nearly Edinburgh when it seemed the whole British Isles was basking in an endless high -- lots of motorsailing.
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Sùlair departs Tobermory, Scotland - 14 August 2009 |
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Sùlair departing from Tobermory - 14 August 2009 |
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It was all good fun, although I damaged an arm towards the end and despite completing the voyage back to London had to return to Canada for treatment, missing out on an extra two-week stint following the trip and a chance to try for Yachtmaster status. Such is life.
I saw three Victoria 30's and have tried to send you pictures of two of them.
The first shot was taken on the River Yealm in Devon, the second and third shots were of a boat leaving Tobermory, Scotland. The third sighting produced no photo because the cutter-rigged boat had left Bangor, Northern Ireland before I had my camera handy.
However taking the trip meant I was unable to do much sailing locally and Victoria Anne languished in her berth through what was described to me as a "miserable summer for sailing," although a friend of mine did manage to take her out a few times. Hopefully this summer will see her more on the "mighty" Ottawa River when I'm not busy trying to upgrade her with a view to more adventurous sailing in the following years.
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Currently, I'm considering adding a removable inner stay, anchor windlass and wind generator as my major projects, and will strip and repaint the bottom before launching this spring. Once in the water, I'll fit the Aires that came with the boat and try to figure out how to make it work. Should be a busy, and fun, season.
Cheers, Graham
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