We set sail from Fiji on Sunday 22nd after a long wait for customs clearance but finally got under way. We motored out of the harbour and set the sails sooner than expected to get some nice sailing in. The weather and wind stayed fair for the next few days with our course mainly South …
Read more “Darwin 200 Onboard Oosterschelde Leg 23 from Fiji to Aotearoa 21st Sept – 1st Oct 2024”
After saying our farewells to friends on Tonga we set sail on Tuesday and set course for Fiji. When we were being assigned our watches some people requested to be on watch with me, which was nice and we,Red watch were up first after dinner from 20:00 -00:00 There were only 5 guest crew from …
Read more “Darwin 200 Onboard Oosterschelde Leg 22 from Tonga to Fiji. 9th – 18th Sept 2024”
We rejoined the ship after our adventures on Rarotonga and set sail for the islands of the Kingdom of Tonga on the evening of 26th August to try and get ahead weather closing in. After a couple of days at sea, my friend Gerda had a fall and hit her head rendering her unconscious for …
In a previous post I wrote about my Darwin 200 voyage on the West coast of Scotland in 2021 well, this was what it was leading up to, the big one, circumnavigating the globe. I would have loved to have done the entire 2 year voyage but it simply wasn’t practically, or financially possible. So …
Read more “Darwin 200 Onboard Oosterschelde Leg 20 from Tahiti to Rarotonga. 11th – 23rd Aug 2024”
I joined the 120 year old Gaff ketch Bessie Ellen on Saturday 16th Sept 2023 in the port of La Coruna in Galicia, Northern Spain boasting the worlds only operational Roman lighthouse, Torre de Hércules. Leaving the port port in the late afternoon we were escorted by a pod of around 20 dolphins. The night …
Read more “La Coruna to Gloucester onboard Bessie Ellen Sept. 2023”
I joined the ship on Friday 10th February 2023 in Marigot bay on the Dutch side of the island of Sint Maarten, the other half of which is administered by France. The next day I helped set the top sail and t-gallant on both the fore and main masts and hoisted the fore course, top …
Read more “My first transatlantic voyage onboard the Brig Morgenster March 2023”
This was my third voyage on Oosterschlede having previously sailed from The Canaries to Cabo Verde and from Ullapool to St. Kilda. I joined the ship in Palmeira on the island of Sal on 13th February 2022 I didn’t plan to spend much time on Sal, having been there before I knew there wasn’t a …
Read more “Island hoping in Cabo Verde aboard schooner Oosterschelde in Feb 2022”
Whilst covid was still a big problem in 2021 things were starting to open up provided adequate precautions were taken. It was at this time I received an email from Classic Sailing about a last minute cancellation to sail on the Pelican of London on leg two of it’s circumnavigation of the UK . The …
Read more “Darwin 200 Voyage Aboard Tall Ship Pelican of London in 2021”
Online privacy and security have always been important but. in recent years our online lives have been dominated by US big tech firms and what they are doing and have done with our data is of great concern. I periodically investigate alternatives to these products and services and thought it maybe worthwhile to document what …
Read more “Moving away from US big tech for privacy, security, and geopolitical reasons.”
Morgenster Clipper Brig, Built 1919 and restored in 2010, with an overall length of 48m. Home port Den Helder NL. Morgenster was my first experience of sailing on a tall ship and not knowing whether I’d enjoy it or not I chose a gentle island hopping voyage around the Canary Islands in Feb 2017. I …
