The ambition.

Wendy and I have sailed together for more than 35 years and this year, 2011, following my retirement, we are attempting to accomplish a circumnavigation of the UK. It always was my dream to sail around the UK when I finished work and we now have the time.

We are based in Portsmouth. Our ambition is to go clockwise, because it feels the right way to go, and we hope to go round Cape Wrath, the “turning point”, then up to the Orkneys and down the East Coast. We will try to achieve our ambition in a series of ‘day sails’. Perhaps as many as 55 day sails, some of the days will be long and some of the nights short, but we expect to spend a part of every night in our bunks and in a harbour or safe anchorage. And Jasper, our third crew member, has to be walked every day, naturally. We will be away for at least four months and hope to depart in April, once the winter is over.

We will not sail every day for we will rest, maintain, explore, chatter and learn as we go. It would be lovely to have the long days of June in the Isles of the west coast of Scotland, but we are totally weather dependent. While not wanting to be too timid, I do not expect to tackle storms at sea, nor gales nor strong winds. It is on those days we will take to the countryside on foot. We want to enjoy it!

The boat

“October”, our much treasured Hallberg Rassy 42 Ketch, was built for us by the nice Mr Rassy in Sweden during the summer of 1986. She was launched in October of that year,twenty five years ago. She is well maintained, her equipment is right up to date, her sails are recent and her condition sound.

We have sailed her, usually just the two of us, most summer weekends since. We have also enjoyed the company of good friends over the years and are hoping some will join us on this trip. But for the most part it will be the two of us and Jasper, our 4 year old Cocker Spaniel.

The route

I expect our route to take us westwards along the south coast to Lands End, up to Padstow, across the Bristol Channel to Wales, probably Milford Haven, then northwards up the Welsh coast to Holyhead. Then across to the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and then the west coast of Scotland.

Having enjoyed the western isles we then hope to progress through the North Minch and around the top of Scotland then up to the Orkneys. After taking the roller coaster down the Pentland Firth to Wick we then follow the Scottish coast down to the Moray Firth, out to Peterhead and then south to Arbroath and the Firth of Forth.  South eastward then crossing the border and skipping down the coast of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire and Humberside. One of the big legs takes us from Grimsby across the Wash to Great Yarmouth. Then slowing for the joys of the East Coast rivers before crossing the Thames Estuary, rounding the Goodwins and rejoining the South Coast for our homeward bounding to Portsmouth.

The intentions

I will do my best to keep this website up to date with the preparations, and the voyage itself with both log data, photos and comment from our experiences. We hope you enjoy it with us.

Our mobile phones will be on, mine is 07804 629 622 and Wendy’s is 07884 345 598, please call us if you wish to chat, want some news or info or, perhaps, have a good recipe we should try. We also have access to our usual e-mail addresses.

Our voyage starts from Portsmouth and the trip is about 2,400 miles.

Michael