Life is not a Practice

A day sail to get me near the airport ready for tomorrow. No one sick. No monster waves. No problems!



34.5 nautical miles. Track is at https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xugbjfxkwumgjcqq

After nine days of waiting, the winds and the swell in the Atlantic finally reduced and we crossed over from Morocco to the island of La Graciosa in two days. Debbie was ill so it was just Shane and I doing watch alternately. Tiring but fun.



227 nautical miles. The complete track is at https://www.gpsies.com/viewStages.do?fileId=wohsbshuoknomyho

The first stage in a sailing trip to the Canary Islands. The trip across the Straits of Gibraltar was like being in a washing machine. The sail down the African coast a little more relaxed. 100 hours in total.



A little more about the trip at https://buruwang.org/2017/12/25/the-perfect-reach/

480 nautical miles. The complete track is at https://www.gpsies.com/viewStages.do?fileId=xhilttdbtfuqbmsw

We were cycling from Nesselwang to Monaco -
https://neill.blogger.de/stories/2647310/ - and took a day off in Ascona to do some sailing on Lake Maggiore. We rented a Sun Odyssey 30.



The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wvoearpyrgijwjdb although I forgot to turn the GPS on for the first hour.

This week the Farina's left us and Annalena and Daniel joined us. During the week we worked our way back north and then visited some islands in the Kornati.

Better weather than last week but less wind.



Photos at https://goo.gl/photos/XDTv6MWSu24zBV43A

Tracks at:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=diemedrdkelcvtdo
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dullwdxuepcxtdci
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=inbnquomflncrkpc
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tgdweupbhvwcwijn
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=sdwoozdqcuzhxkal
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mrbybsffmbaneyob
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=beugquklogazhpvl

Max's blog for the week starts at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2017/04/sailing-croatia-day-8-tucepi-marina.html?m=1

Stefano's photos are at https://goo.gl/photos/5BCDUaiUVH2rNycPA and Max's at https://goo.gl/photos/JWtE4H6AWGdyPAMY7

Week 1
Rhiannon, Caro, Max, Stefano and I on a Dufour 350. The three Hogarths are staying for two weeks. Farinas are making space for Annalena and Daniel at the weekend.



We are enjoying everything from an afternoon and evening tied up at the harbour wall in Hvar to lonely bays on uninhabited islands; glass flat seas to 30 knot gusts out at sea.

What I absolutely love about sailing is waking up not knowing where you will be in the evening. You know the direction and you know you will have your "home" with, but you don't know what the day will hold or where you will be sleeping. On one day, we started anchored off a village on an island and now we are backed on to the main harbour wall in the middle of a medieval town. A day later we finished the day anchored in a tiny cove surrounded by forest and nature.

At the end of our week together, we did a night sail to the mainland to meet Annalena and Daniel.

Photos at https://goo.gl/photos/XDTv6MWSu24zBV43A

Tracks at:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=alqibrmrxxcfhebw
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=uvkyehqtbwxjhbyx
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=bcckveftakgdqbdz

on day 4 I restarted my plotter and lost part of the data
- http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=iajyhkuhyaeqqmja (part 1 of the day)
- http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rreuxgpjwpzflndy (part 2 of the day)
- http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rjkftidbhfyjqeju (the whole day from Max but with lower resolution so you can not see the heart that Rhiannon salied and which is shown in my part 2 track)

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=htswjbiuzsqznhux
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tydixdnajvlpnzxp
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rzxvjddcttrmbnft

Max's blog starts at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2017/04/sailing-croatia-day-1-nesselwang-biograd.html?m=1

Stefano's photos are at https://goo.gl/photos/5BCDUaiUVH2rNycPA and Max's at https://goo.gl/photos/JWtE4H6AWGdyPAMY7

After a morning to look around the town of Cadiz, we set off back along the coast. The first day we just crossed the bay to Rota and a tasty dinner in a Cuban restaurant.



Then back to Mazagon and the next day on to El Rompido which we reached by navigating through the shallow and changeable channel where river and sea meet.

Back to Isla Christina and then, using blind navigation, on to Ayamonte.

Another great weeks sailing with a lot learned. And l finished off with my offshore skipper qualification and Marine VHF qualification.

The GPS tracks are at:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=pttstpnuxvfbdfxa
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=vntwsywfnnhrcrpf
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=bdacxqauozzaxnmf
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xqtjacpjfkvibbnc
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ryujqprucyykpwda

I am back in Spain training again with Shane and Debbie at go-n-sail. There were meant to be three students but one failed to appear so there is just Michael and I. Michael is working towards his day skipper qualification and I towards my offshore skipper. As we are both here for two weeks, Shane suggested a trip to Cadiz.



After a day and a half of boat skills we sailed "round the corner" to Isla Cenella at the end of the second day. From there on to Mazagon and then to Chipiona before the final leg to Cadiz where we are currently tied up in Puerto Americana.

A storm passed over us in Mazagon and the noise coupled with a cold meant I got no sleep. The next day there was a swell and plenty of wind. We were the only boat we saw out all day and finally I know what it like to be seasick :-)

Entering Chipiona, the wind got up and we had to reef. Then the rain lashed us and reduced visibility. So we were barrelling along at 7 knots with a wreck off to our left squinting through the rain looking for a small buoy that marked the marina.

A fun trip with lots learned.

The last three days sailing tracks are at:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ruczaaqhlekobsro
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xfpobqkrrqwmozig
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=pmqdrdzchssjdgqp
(it took me the first few days to work out how to save the tracks)

Today Stefano and I were out sailing on the Forgensee again. There was little wind but we still managed to amuse ourselves for over four hours.



We began by seeing how many different ways we could find to tie a bowline. Next we unsucessfully "surveyed" a buoy using a compass and GPS enabled app in my camera. We then grounded on the lee shore of an island so I had to strip off and jump in to the lake to push us off while Stefano canted the boat as far as possible. Next we practiced sailing up to a buoy and just "kissing it" with the bow.

Our track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.dofileId=ybcqrzeasltyzwzl

Photos at https://goo.gl/photos/RN65NJpM2SzdRNGw8

The third time out on the lake this summer. A sunny day with variable breeze. The good thing about a Dyas is that it makes use of any wind that is available.



This time Stefano was setting places to aim for and then sailing the course to reach them. I was just happy to be getting in sailing time ready for my course in October and to be out with some one who enjoys sailing so much.

Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=obxfmzqnjemofpqi

My photos at https://goo.gl/photos/RN65NJpM2SzdRNGw8