Mar. 5, 2008 - Moved to website

Well, dunno if anyone still looks here, but if you do I've finally got round to updated the website, new rants and ramblings are being posted here

www.conachair.co.uk.

And sign the guest book - looks like I'm Billy NoMates at the moment, or could it be that that is in fact the case.....

Jan. 7, 2008 - Happy New Year!!!!

Well, it's not far off midnight on new years eve and I really don't feel like going out. Mostly because I feel like s&*t. Not in a physical state conducive to swallowing enormous amounts of alcohol like any northern European should be on this of all nights. But a few hours to go yet so if I persevere with this nice drop of Rioja at least I’ll make it  on deck to watch the fireworks. And this being Spain there should be ample.  They need no more excuse than it getting dark after the sun goes down to celebrate with some probably excitingly unsafe pyrotechnics so tonight should be far too dangerous to be walking around sober. All right, I’m feeling better already, bit more wine and I should be ready for the street. In marina Rubicon today, and yesterday what there was of it. Came down the all of 9 or 10 miles from Calero round the corner to Rubicon day before yesterday, was thinking first of going up coast to Isla Graciosa but that would have meant motoring into headwinds, in which on the good ship forward progress is best measured on a calendar rather than a watch so slow downwind it was to here.  Then yesterday rather than sail somewhere a bit less like the travel show’s best budget buys I woke with some minor plague and spent the day challenging a cats ability to sleep the most hours out of 24, must have got up to 75% at least. So new year in Rubican, can’t say I’m drawn to the place.  Walking around the accent sounds too much like an episode of Coronation Street or whatever the German equivalent is. Went look for the source of some music earlier only to find that the ‘village’ was in fact a five star walled in resort. Bet the builders of the Great Wall of China would be pleased that their idea to keep out the thieving hoards is still alive and well. Some Spanish tourists here as well, they’re usually easy to spot as they’re the ones who aren’t pink.

Right, best be out, can’t be so sad as to see the new year in alone sitting on me boat.

Happy New Year!!!!!     

Boom, crack, ka,ka,ka,ka,ka,ka ffffiiiizzzzz.     Vvvooooooommmm.  

That’s fireworks that is.

Dec. 28, 2007 - Happy Xmas!

Merry Xmas to everyone!    Gee it's great to be back home!  Had a lovely week in Scotland visiting family for Xmas and great day sailing on Fleur, brother-in-laws Vega 27. What a great sailing ground it is up there, north of Glasgow. Sea lochs and mountains galore. Bit chilly though, nice to be back to tee shirt and shorts. So still in Peurto Calero, nice enough and has free wifi but time to move on I feel. Battled again today with roller reefing. Most definately on it's last legs but hopefully should hold together until Las Palmas where money will need to be spent on a new one, amongst other upgrades. But today this is where I live:

Had a beer with Henry earlier, he is off for a little sail tomorrow, 2904 miles to St Lucia. Henry's on nice island packet 35, singlehanded and at 74 is slowly finishing off a circumnavigation. Hope for us all yet. 

Henry leaving to cross the Atlantic to St Lucia. Fair winds, Henry!

So I might move me ass tomorrow, tempted to spend new year in La Graciosa. It's a little island just north of Lanzarote, no paved roads, just sand and sounds lovely. WInd might be a bit on the nose though, one doesn't like to sail upwind so we'll see what the gods of wind are up to in the morning. Then I shall head over to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria for a while, get stuck into boatwork. New rigging to fit, new battaries to buy and fit and pages of other bits. Then where?????  Oh so can't decide but Atlantic is winning at the moment. Caribbean, trade winds and snorkling.

Sounds great. But why not visit Cape Verdes and west Africa before heading over, Oh I don't know!   Shall sort boat first and wait for path to reveal itself. Added advantage is Las Palmas has about 3 weeks of carnival in Jan/Feb. Bring it on!!!    Happy New Year to everyone!!!

Dec. 16, 2007 - Lanzarote and it's sunny...

Has it really been so long since I updated this site? Obviously so. Anyway, quick update, now in Lanzarote where, guess what, it's sunny and warm! Sine last post I did a little cruise back over to Morocco, Tangier this time, then journey into the mountains for a few days in Chef Chaouen then round to Ceuta for a bit and back to Cadiz. Scribbled this about trip down here but never got round to posting it:

12th Novemeber 2007
Fantastic,Long trousers back in the locker probably for some considerable time. Left Cadiz finally last Tuesday with good friend Fine Sailor Ted onboard for the approx 580 mile trip to Lanzarote. With a final trip to the market and one last (obligatory) beer in the marina bar about 3pm we cast off and headed out to sea. Bye bye Europe. Nice breeze so we were sailing fast with lights of Cadiz dissappearing over the horizon after sunset. Bye bye Europe. The wind was getting up by now so main had a reef put in and genoa rolled away, reefed main and staysail, nice snug rig. By now it was dark so we couldn't see what the seas were like, Conachair is quite a dry boat but there were a few waves broke into the cockpit. You hear a hiss then a moment later it's like 20 people all throwing buckets of water at you simultaneously. But usually enough time to dive for cover under the sprayhood. Dodged some shipping but nothing major, bore away a bit to go behind one but apart from that we kept to course. 220 deg all the way. By now we were into our night watch system which was 3 hours on, 3 hours off from 9pm to 9am, during the day there was always someone on deck. Once in the lee of morocco the seas and wind died just a little and we were bowling along nicely, a billion of stars overhead, aries steering perfectly. By now the wind had went round to northeast from the easterly across gulfo de Cadiz and poled out the genny on the opposite side from the main, wing and wing. She rolled a bit when some bigger seas came through but not bad at all. I've read some horror stories about bad rolling going downwind across the Atlantic but if this is as bad as it gets then I'll be a happy bunny. Wednesday morning saw the wind slowly die more and about luchtime we played around with the spinniker - first time that sail's been out of its bag! Got it up but wind was so light that all it did was slat about so unfortuanately it was time to put the engine. No wind meant no aries so now there was always one of us chained to the tiller. Oh well, never mind, at least it was sunny. Always sunny here. Log entry shows sea temp of 20.1 deg and air at 25 deg.Quite pleasant for mid November really. This carried on through until friday morning at 6am when there was finally enough wind to sail faster than a slow crawling pace again. More dolphins on friday, always a joy. Playing round the boat, they really do seem to enjoy it, and the crew certainly enjoy their visits. I'd been playing around with the sextant for a few days and today the cover went on the gps. Lets see how we do with traditional navigation. I was getting between 3 and 10 miles error so far, not exact by any means but enough to find a big island if uncle George dubya ever decides to turn off gps for a few days while he invades somewhere. Now each day and night just rolled into the next one, watch the sea, have a snooze, cook, read, play around with the sextant. Completely isolated from the outside world, the only things that exist are the boat and about a 3 mile radius of blue ocean between you and the horizon. Saturday afternoon saw the wind die away to almost nothing again (actually a few knots from the northeast but with the boat sailing southwest the apparent wind was pretty much zero). So engine back on. And so it was until 11.30am next morning we dropped the anchor in the harbour of Puerto De Naos in Lanzarote. All in all a great 5 days.
Video here:  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bip6eDVyESU
And some piccys here:   http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24132&l=4aa58&id=689829947
And here:   http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24134&l=5ceab&id=689829947

So right now using free broadband in marina. Marina's a bit posh and heading towards 'full english breakfast/sky sports' but nice enough.
Shall prob stay here 'til after xmas then maybe round to Gran Canaria for new year, then, who can tell!

Aug. 27, 2007 - What, you're still in Cadiz??

 10th August

So what’s been happening this past  while? Well, finally left Cadiz (but not for too long, going back before long). Went down coast to little place called Sancti Petri and spent night on a buoy in the river. Pretty little place, not much there. A load of boats, couple of bars and ruins of a deserted village. From there down a bit more and into Barbaty, smallish Spanish town with the usual perfect beach and seafood restaurants.  And across the Straits we go to Morocco. Pretty windy but I decide to go for it anyway, after a stressy little while clearing tunny nets in what must have been a good F7 I get out into the straits, showing constant 30Kn plus on the little hand held wind meter I’ve got so must have been gusting 8 at times. Seas not huge but short and steep, 2 reefs in main with jib furled and staysail up, really must get that 3^rd reef line in permanently, that was not the place to be fiddling about with bits of string on deck so a bit over canvassed. . But boat handling it all very well, fair bit of water over the deck and a few drenchings in the cockpit, one way give your boat a good wash I suppose. Once in the lee of morocco the seas went right down and the wind eased a bit, good 6 I suppose and we flew along down the coast. Rapido!!!  Thought about going to Tanger but that would have meant closed hauled into the straits, no thanks!  Asilah it is. No marina here, you tie up along with the fishing boats. Very friendly and helpful, I was given fresh fish every morning and countless cups of mint tea. Don’t think there are many yachts come through here and they seemed quietly impressed that I was single handing.  What it does entail though is a bit of juggling every time a fishing boat comes in or leaves, not a place to be if you are overly precious about your boat. Got a few scratches but could be worse. What good timing, cultural festival started the day I arrived, lots of art and music around.

Some really dodgy mobile phone video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFVNoxWpxPM

 And very few hustlers, nothing like Tanger. Think I only got approached once and even that was a half hearted attempt.

Kids fishing across the harbour in Asilah

Oh, watch me paint....

More mint tea anyone? My neighbors and purveyors of fine anchovies to any yachts nearby.

Just another street in Asilah

now, where's that shower block?

A typical day sailing. 7/8/07.

Wake about 6ish Moroccan time (2 hours behind  Spain), usual early morning rush hour in the harbour. My friends from the bigger fishing boat (about 50’) which goes out each night have returned and are now getting into the raft inside of another 2 boats and me. Lots of waves and Ola’s  but first I really must get out of the way a bit, my anchor isn’t really designed to fend off so many tonnes of timber fishing boat. So release a spring line a get Conachair back out of the way a bit. More lines are released and without too much trouble a raft of maybe 100 tons of boats is moved to let the night birds in. Before leaving I need to retrieve boat papers from customs office on the quay, several cups of mint tea later the office opens and papers retrieved, off I go. Happy smiles, Adios, Au revoir and waves see me off. Little swell coming in from the west  but high water so no probs getting out between the quite narrow breakwaters, motor for maybe ¼ mile then get a bit of jib up in the southerly breeze and turn engine off, I’ll get off shore a bit and tidy the boat a little before getting the main up. Mile or so out I pass a little open boat with 3 Moroccans fishing.  They recognise me, wave and shout. “Adios senor”. One of them points north and to his chest “Contigo, contigo!”  I go with you!  Sorry mate, can’t help you there. To far away to see his face but I know he’s laughing.

So am I.

Adios beautiful Asilah.

But now time to sail. A handful of clicks on the windvane gets the bow closer to the wind, main up and sheeted in, then clicks back again on the windvane control and she bears away slowly but deliberately in perfect control until the winds just off the port quarter. All without a hand touching the tiller. Beautiful. I adjust the sheets a little and watch the log as she settles into the days work. 4.5kn, 5kn, 5 1/2, 6, 6 1/2kn and settles between 6 and 7 knots. All in a lovely top end of a force 3 breeze. Beautiful.  A short silent thank you is given to the gods of the winds. Course is a little too much  east  than I would like but that’s OK. Straight downwind in these light airs doesn’t really work so it’s better to keep the wind on the port quarter, jib slats now and again in the swell but nothing major. In the slight swell from the southerly wind there’s another swell coming in from the west so hopefully when I clear  the northwest corner of Morocco the wind will get a bit more west in it. And sure enough, a few hours later I’m into the straits and the wind does veer just enough to steer for Barbaty. Was going to go to Tanger but only about 5 mile further to Spain (Morocco has recently declared an area prohibited to navigation around nw coast so would have to go out 5 miles then back in again). So across the shipping lanes again. Not as bad as going across channel to France but keeps you on your toes nevertheless. Wind dies slowly and eventually I give up and turn the engine on about 5 miles from Barbaty. Into same berth as a few days ago and thus ends another lovely days sailing.

27^th August 2007

Well, Asilah seems an age ago now, will I ever leave Cadiz I wonder?  Just too many excuses to stay a few more days. Some valid, new rigging arriving this week, leaky windows to fix etc etc. Next leg probably to Canaries so better get the boat watertight for that. And it’s just so easy to be in Cadiz. Fantastic food,  met a load of new friends, both UK and Spanish. Music everywhere, final of Flamenco dance competition last night (thanks for ticket Nellie!!) .  Amazing.

More ropey mobile phone footage. (Geedit? Footage? Ooooowwww)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I81FmWu163s

And last week a band not to miss if you ever see them advertised, Ojos De Brujo (lit. eyes of the wizard). Flamenco fusion and such a powerful sound. Most highly recommended.

Dodgy vid here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg7gIC8PrFE

 All in open air venues with the moon and the stars overhead. 

So at least another week or so here then must get south before the weather starts to get a bit less predictable. But for now, I sit in a tree lined square sipping a cerveca and making use of Cadiz’s free wifi. Things really could be a whole lot worse.

Adios Amigos

Jul. 28, 2007 - Just can't seem to leave Cadiz.......

Still here!!    In Lovely Cadiz.  Just can’t see to get away…..     Well, not strictly true, big rally from Portugal in earlier this week so got kicked out for couple of nights. No great hardship, just went over the bay to Puerto De Santa Maria. NICE marina, actually a yacht club but they have berths available for visitors. Swimming pool and everything. Meant some early mornings though, just spent a week at Spanish School trying to learn a little more than Otro Cerveza por favor. This meant a ferry ride from Santa Maria to school, not the greatest hardship known to mankind!. Don’t think I was born with a natural flair for languages but now I get glimpses of conversations and sometimes even understand roughly the gist of what is being said so well worth it. 

Been a great week, took 2 lots of friends out sailing,

Ola Nellie!, Ola Jorge Y Los Ninos!  Ola Mamajuana! OLA CADIZ!!!

Habrá siempre un lugar en mi corazón para Cádiz y para todos mis amigos allí

Capitana Paula at the helm.

Nellie and Danny eating healthy in the cockpit.

Jorge Y Los Ninos

Such a nice way to spend an afternoon, do a bit of sailing, anchor up in a bay for something to eat and a glass of wine then sail back to Cadiz.

And if that’s not enough fun I was privileged to see some absolutely drop dead fantastic, buy some more hats so you can take them off Flamenco the other night.  Quite possibly not actually possible to play guitar like that with only 2 hands each with 5 fingers but these guys hadn’t been told that. And dancing with passion. No, really, dancing with so much PASSION!  All in a perfect venue, Baluarte de La Candelaria, a fort built in 1672 now used as an arts venue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A1diz

All in the open air in a perfect place with the moon and the stars watching over us.  

Hats off.

And more tonight in a tree lined square, in the cool of the night surrounded by the wonderful, open, kind, friendly people of Cadiz.

No wonder I’m still here.

But enough of day to day events, blog needs a bit more home spun philosophy and details of what living and cruising under sail is really like, I think.

Now there are lots of books about long distance sailing, perhaps the first was “survive the savage storm” by Noah. (Possibly still available from amazon, some quotes: “40 days and 40 nights is a long time, take plenty of books”,   “forget the 2 of each rule when it comes to doves, I was lucky but 'tis good seamanship to have spares”)

Some  examples of reality.

• It’s commonly believed that red and green channel buoys are there to mark a deep water channel into a bay or whatever. This isn’t actually the case, merely a coincidence, a happy accident if you will. The real purpose of these red a green floating bits of metal so that the wind knows exactly which way to blow so as to be right on your nose when entering or leaving. And even more complex than that, 2 boats can in a channel, one leaving one entering, going in exactly opposite directions maybe ¼ mile apart. The wind is so clever that it can be right on the nose for each boat. Must be some quantum physics effect, something to do with Schrödinger’s undead cat. Or was that in Pirates of the Caribbean? I get confused.
  
• Another example: If you find yourself having a conversation like this it’s time to tidy the boat and head out to sea. (This is based on actual events but the names and places have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.
  Alright it was me and a mate in Lazyjacks in Lagos.)
  
  ”So what’s your favourite shower cubicle?”
  ”Well……2’s good, not keen on 6, got to be 5 really”
  ”Yeah, 2’s not bad, doesn’t have the little shelf of your soap and shampoo though. Good consistence of water temperature, though. Hate that when someone uses a tap at the sink and the water goes hot, 1’s really bad for that. Don’t like 1. 6 is useless, no pressure. No, you’re right, 5’s  the one. “
  “Yeah, 5’s the best”
  ”Yeah, 5’s as good as it gets.
  .
  .
  ’Nother glass of red?”
  
  This is when I knew it was time to tidy the boat and eat a few miles.

So all for now, it’s seven O’clock on a Saturday and I must have a little siesta and head out into town to see some more flamenco and just to have the pleasure of being a part of Cadiz on a cool summers evening.

Hasta A Luego.

Feel free to comment or email, never know if anyone actually reads this or not. Either way it’s fun to scribble!

Jul. 17, 2007 - Cadiz, nice place..

Jul. 9, 2007 - Further up the Gaudiana

Jun. 28, 2007 - Rio Gaudiana

28th June 2007

Well now, wasn't this just well worth the effort. This morning in all too touristy Isla Canela. Left there probably 10ish, motored back across to Ayamonte then up the river Gaudiana. Few miles up from Ayamonte breeze kicked in so sailed pretty much all the way (about 20 miles or so, log only started working last few miles). FANTASTIC.

 portugal to the left of me, Spain to the right (here I am, stuck in the middle wi....)

Gybed all the way up with just the jib. Now oh so quiet apart from a few wavelets off the hull, slight wind noise from wind gen and breeze rustling reeds on either side of river. Stars overhead, Venus just set over the hill to the west. Anchored up just downstream of Alcoutim on the Portuguese side and Sanlucar on the Spanish side.  So much the better for it, crickets and cicadas give the night air a constant zing, unknown animals grunt and splash and squeek on the riverbanks. I catch a couple of barbel after tea but feel guity not knowing if you can eat them or not so they go back in and rod goes away. Salami on the hook means I can eat the bait if not the fish. Dogs barking in the night air, another splash of some unseen animal or bird on the riverbank.

Tomorrow might push even further up river, met a couple of expats in canoes as I was anchoring, upriver from here becomes even more untouched, crikey there'll be dinosaurs next. As I write this I keep popping head out of the hatch, special! Heady smell of eucalyptus or something like that, zing of crickets. And all free for the cost of a boat and an anchor. If tonight was a one off then you could argue that is a pretty hefty price tag but somehow I think there's plenty more to come. Bring it on. Just don't expect me to rush, got all the time in the world....

29th June 2007

Another day at anchor. Portugal an hour behind Spain if you're unlucky enough to look at a clock. Wonder if the roosters know that. Wasn't awake early enough to find out. A flock of azure winged magpies are having a party in the trees on the Spanish side of the river where I'm anchored. Must get some piccies of them, got piccy of red-legged partridge while having a "I’m in a new place lets explore" morning walk earlier.

Some golden Orioles here as well. Good job I've got digital camera, 99% delete rate.

Getting a bit arty with Photoshop!!!!

Industrious afternoon, cleaned bilges after a minor flood a few days ago. Top tip, when leaving the boat turn off the water to the hose, because hoses having a certain intelligence and being somewhat malicious will manage to spit off the nozzle and after flaying around for a moment like some Harry Potter serpent will then somehow shove itself down the nearest open hatch, which of course is the one you left open into the main cabin on your boat. All this while you enjoy an innocent glass of wine. Next visit to B & Q remember this and be wary in the garden tools section, they will be watching you. But at least it was fresh water and bunk cushions dry quickly in the sun. Nice clean bilges again as well.

Heads clean and working again as well. Dripping inlet pump seems fine again after I threaded the flange nut the other day. Polysulphide sealant is a wonderful thing, shall rejoice if kitchen paper under it stays dry overnight. And shower hose even works again after it developed a leak, just a washer needed reseated. Phew, I though that lot was going to take a month, at last a bit of luck.

All for now, this being posted as i sit under a tree on some generous souls wifi in Alcoutim. And, yes, the sun is shining.

Jun. 25, 2007 - Isla Canela

On the move again at last. Even if only 5 miles round the coast, Isla Canela marina.  http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&ll=37.185382,-7.335305&spn=0.015215,0.034976&t=k&z=15&om=1  Tourist place but some more traditional bars and restaurants round other side of harbour. Friend Adam came down for a few days to sample the cruising lifestyle and of course the fine seafood and red wine that are such a part of life around these shores.
Gentle sail round in a light breeze with just the jib up. And of joy of joys, a pod of dolphins came to play.

Shall probably sail round to El Rompido tomorrow and anchor up for a few days, high season now so marina charges getting a bit prohibitive, anchoring's free. Then possibly round for a look at Cadiz and Morocco maybe soon. But one day at a time. Low tide about fiveish today so that shall see me at the beach picking some clams for tea. Tough old life innit!  Hope everyone well.

Jun. 7, 2007 - Espania

Written, 29/5/07

Berth – Ayamonte Marina, Rio Gaudiano, Spain

Well, finally left Lagos. Bungie port it certainly is, tempting to go back and visit but not just yet, not for a while. Left last Wednesday, 23^rd, slowly sailed just across the bay to Portimao, massive passage of, oh, about 6 miles. Very little wind but enough to get her moving, just had jib up and getting up to 5kn in little gusts. Go girl, go. Well done you, we got miles to eat. Wind picked up for brief moment so main up and considered carrying on to Vilamoura but was not to be so main down, jib in and motor last little bit into marina.
Couple of days in Portimao, tidying boat and generally relaxing after final few days of late nights in Lagos.  Friday and we’re off again. Nice wind, sw high 3 , low 4 and we’re heading pretty much east so with with a bit of boat speed apparent wind is bang on the beam. Just how she likes it so lovely passage, thought first to put into Albufiera but sailing too good, then Vilamoura came and went so ended up anchored up inside Isla Du Culatra, near Faro. Beautiful sail, big ketch, must have been 60’ plus came out just behind me and only just overtook before turning back before Albufiera. Go girl, go.

So sailed all way into  estuary (engine on tickover ready, not that stupid) and anchored up near Unity. Wind up a bit by then but new anchor (rocna 20)  seems to hold well. Over to unity for fine fish and prawns with Mike and Tina.

Saturday morning, well midday – should have been earlier! Off east again, fair bit of breeze, 20kn maybe and motored out of estuary. Entrance choppy, swell just breaking and I’m very wary of gunning the engine (rightfully so, it turned out) main up tacking out the entrance, down to less than 1kn, come on girl, just another 50m and we can bear away and be off. Bit more engine, play chicken with a fishing boat coming in and out we get. Fast for a while, hitting 8kn then weather front catches us up. Wet!! Few hours of fast sailing then wind goes leaving rain and sloppy sea and boat wallowing, ugghh. Motor on. But got there in end, considered Tavira but pilot book put me off  “do not enter before half tide…”. Alright then,    shan’t.   Same for Rio Gaudiana but text from Unity confirm that more than 3m water over the bar in the entrance to the river. By this time sun is out with a bit of swell left over from the swesterly so I motor into the river with couple of dolphins playing 100m behind, over the bar, inside the breakwaters and at last out of the swell. Gaudiana is border between Portugal and Spain, this particular Saturday Portugal is having some powerboat racing so I sneak slowly up west side of river out of the way. Then into marina, rising tide so fair bit of current behind and into berth, luckily couple of guys off big German boat grab lines and stop me, gun engine in reverse to try and stop boat against current and it revs then stops. Now that’s not normal. But I’ve had pretty unpleasant 7 or 8 hours, aries not working so handcuffed to the tiller, wet and cold. Tapas and vino waiting in square, doesn’t take long to catch up with Unity crew. They had perfect sail!!   Kept ahead of weather and watched me disappear into rain!  Wind all the way. Oh well, there you go.

Next day look at engine, fuel seems ok, thought it might be air lock or something. Can’t figure it out so go for a walk, then think, I haven’t even   looked at the oil, back to boat and oil grey and watery. Blown head gasket top of the pile of causes. So next day head off and indeed, 1 cylinder gone. And to add to the mess I’m stuck in a 16m berth – and paying for it. And come 1^st June it’s high season, prices go through the roof! New gaskets arrive hopefully 3 days time so might have to do bit of funky warping the boat around other side of pontoon into cheaper berth using the tide if they take any longer.

But all good really, very lucky engine went when I had a rope on a pontoon and not in Faro entrance or halfway here. Concentrates ones mind having a slightly temperamental engine in many good ways, sails and anchor always at the ready.  So now I shall have a few more days in the very pleasant Ayamonte, enjoying Spain. But have to say, I do miss Portugal a bit so might have to jump on the ferry, tapas is fantastic but the Portuguese have got the edge on grilled sardines!     

May. 19, 2007 - Floating again at last.

Great rejoycing in Lagos as Conachair finally floats again. Looking good, she is. Well, certainly the bit near the water, topsides look a bit scruffy but all in good time (and wallet only so big). I may have donated a few more euros to the local community than I had hoped for (engine parts not cheap) but have to say the boatyard (Sopramar in Lagos) did a great job. Paint job fantastic, engine looks like new.

But great to be afloat again, no more up and down ladders and now have running water again. And seemingly dry boat. Had worrys that seacocks were on their last legs (maybe they are and I'm just lucky) but they seem to be drip free. Blakes bronze ones they are, this time I put loads of grease in and didn't do the bolts pushing the taper into the plug too tight. Seems to have done the trick. And though I only motered from the boatyard round to the marina the stuffing boxs seems fine as well. Used stuffing with PTFE this time, from asap supplies, which is supposed to be drip free. One hopes. And also have clean main bilge now as well, great fun that was, 20 odd years of engine oil (not any more I hope) and god knows what else to clean from a narrow bilge about 4 feet deep. Anyway clean now and hopefully will stay that way.

So next stop where?  Well, for starters that forward planning thing is greatly overrated. Just leads to stress and disappointment. So I shall be planning not to plan more than a bit ahead. Initial bit ahead will be to turn left. Alright, maybe I should plan a little bit more precisely than that, but only in that a quite fancy anchoring off Isla Du Cultara for a day or two. Island just off Faro, big estuary and wildlife reserve. Sounds very peaceful. And might go up river Gaudiana, which seperates Portugal and Spain. You can get about 20 odd miles up the river in pretty much unspoiled countryside with the occasional village to visit. Sounds nice. But generally just turn left, do a bit of sailing and see what happens. Something always does so why worry.

But before all that this afternoon I'm going to pick up laundry and hang it out to dry. And not watch the cup final. Got to be enough to be getting on with on a hot Saturday afternoon in Lagos.

adeus e sorte boa

Mar. 16, 2007 - Life in Lagos and the concept of time

Well, Sunday 11th March sees me still in Lagos and still living in a boatyard. Hull painting finished and looking quite fantastic. S'pose that means I should really get the rest of the boat up to the same high standard, not that it's that bad. Bit of sand paper and teak oil/sealer has quite a remarkable effect. Got quite a lot done today (always seem to get more done on sundays, boatyard very quiet and fishing bait shop shut). Aries wind vane (a wonderful piece of equipment which steers the boat to using the wind direction without complaint or even a request for a cup of tea), stripped down and rebuilt. All new split pins and clean threads, ready for another thousand miles.  Now almost frictionless and not so much as a single screw left over when it went back together. very satisfying. That and some clothes washing. Given up on the laundrette, no coin ops down here so it costs several bottles of wine to get a wash done. Can't have that, can we. So off to local supermarket this morning for some hand wash stuff. Bucketful of hot water from the shower room, some clothes and stuff in and , hmm, my Portuguse needs some work I think. The bottle had a drawing of a pair of hands in a bowl washing clothes (next to a drawing of someone washing a floor, maybe that was a hint) but when I put it in the water got really colourful instantly and smelt like a swimming pool. Now have several hippy glastonbury style tie dyed tee shirts. More bleach than persil I think. Anyway, quick learning curve and boat is typical yachtie with washing line out sporting some rather arty teeshirts. Might give the ironing a miss though. At least the wind vane's in good shape. Waterproof grease, fantastic stuff, I'd use it on myself if I knew where to put it (don't even bother with suggestions....).

Weather picked up last couple of days. Much warmer now (not that it's been what you would call cold really),  fishing yesterday shirt off, shades on. Seem to be getting a bit obsessed with this fishing lark. Don't catch much though, and any which do venture onto the hook are tiny. Got "North atlantic and mediterranean" fish guide so at least I know what they are now. Had Annular Bream and Ballan wrasse yesterday, shame they were about the same size as the pictures in the book. But one of these days I'll catch my dinner.And boy that's going to taste good. I usually walk down to the end of the breakwater which protects the river up into Lagos. there's a family (herd? gang? what's lots of cats called?) of feral cats live down there and the other day one got all friendly doing the getting under your feet thing. I thought I was quite the Dr Doolittle. All animals love me, must be such a nice guy. Then I caught a little fish and it went wild, more kittys appeared just as excited. Ha, not me you're interested in after all is it? Not stupid these moggys are they. I mean, i just feel so used!

Which brings us nicely onto the nature of time whilst cruising.  Throw away yer filofaxes and outlook, it's all a con. There are three periods of time. Main one is "now". Now is where it all happens. Best now is when you forget that any other time exists and are perfectly happy chopping onions (nice onions in portugal, good fun to chop) or spend an hour getting a particularly reluctant screw out of a windvane without burring the head. Thats a good now, definately achievable having been back on the boat for a while. Next (or previous) is "Before now". "Before now" is just that. I noticed sailing down here last year that it was very hard to remember if an event happened yesterday of a month ago. Simply doesn't matter, it's all "before now" and blends into one. Yesterday can seem an age ago, especially when making up a few miles. Makes history much easier. "When did you sail across Biscay?" someone would ask. Err, a few days ago, last week, ages ago,  i don't know, it was before now OK!  Next one is "after now". Now this is where the corporate west really has some problems to resolve. "After now" is simply that. (easy really, isn't it). "When are you leaving Lagos?" Hmm, lets see now, that would be, roughly, I would think sort of after now! No point trying to pin it down, just point your life in the general direction you want to go in and you'll get there in the end, possibly having much more fun and adventures on the way than you would have if trying to keep to one of those wierd schedule things. Or possibly you were completely mistaken in direction and end up doing something completely different but possibly more fun. So there, the nature of time in one paragraph. The Portuguese seem to cope Ok with it, work still gets done, my experince here has been that they work pretty hard, but don't get so hung up about it that it gets in the way of having some fun along they way and make sure a good lunch is had. They all seem to take pride in a job well done and if it takes a day longer then who's worried.

So "after now" new engine parts will arrive, engine will go back in, I'll have the more important bits of the boat sorted and will float again. Then off round the coast a bit towards Spain, drove up to a place called Alcoutim a few days ago with some friends. Very nice. Up river Gaudiana which seperates Spain and Portugal so I shall try to get up there for a few days anchored well off the beaten track. And then further into the after now, getting excited about spending some time in Morocco maybe. Then?? Madeira? Canaries? Who can tell. It's all in the after now and I think if you relax and sort out the now then everything else will fall into place without having to lift a finger. Suits me just fine.

Boa nuite e ate logo

ps New video of Biscay crossing here - http://www.youtube.com/Yachtconachair

pps Friday now, how time flies. Much excitement onboard, yesterday after several hundred euros and a long day working in confined spaces, Conachair has a working fridge! Cold drinks for the first time in over a year and a half. Yippee!!

Feb. 23, 2007 - Don´t ever buy a boat

Don’t ever buy a boat.

Don't ever buy a boat. Forget all that sunshine and perfect winds taking you to one paradise after another. Pure fiction, the reality is less appealing. Picture a pair of legs sticking out of a space which is actually impossible to get into, but somehow you managed to get in there and now can’t get out again, scraper in one hand and wire brush in the other. Grubby fingernails and skinned knuckles. Picture having to climb up a down a ladder to get in and out of your home and carrying dishes to a tap in the corner of the boatyard in the dark to do the washing up. Picture this and much more and you’ll start to get a little insight into what it’s like living onboard while doing a refit in a boatyard. Don’t ever buy a boat.

Bilge painting this week, probably illegal under some obscure EU regulation. Imagine painting under the floorboards of your house but only being able to lift one board in the centre of the room. Luckily no-one's too bothered about obscure EU regulations here in Portugal so I can still paint my bilges and buy fruit and veg which all look different to each other but taste absolutely delicious. Which is more than can be said about bilge paint. A perfect paint system is the holy grail of steel boat owners and this weeks paint of choice onboard Conachair is POR-15. Initial results very positive (apart from the price!). Single part polyurethane grey stuff which sticks to anything, dries rock hard but is still very flexible, keeping rust at bay by not letting oxygen near the steel. "Don't get it on your skin 'cos it will stay there until the skin falls off" it says on the can. For anyone interested I'll know how long it takes to shed skin hopefully quite soon. Before even starting preparation involves removing 20 odd years of dirt, grime grease, stale engine oil and rust. But I'm 2 coats on and one to go, think I'll let this coat dry overnight and apply final coat tomorrow morning. Then back onto wood. Top of the list of things to do are things which must happen before she goes back in the water:- Painting the hull (boatyard boys are taking care of the outside, I draw short straw of inside but my labour is considerably cheaper so can't complain. But sometimes I still do), teak toe rail had to come off so that needs severe cleaning before getting fitted again. Too far gone for teak cleaner so sanding it is. Which will be on tomorrows list, sounds easy (belt sander then orbital works a treat) but I suspect a fair chunk of the next few days will be spent finding a supplier of belts for a bosch belt sander. Luckily I'm in no great rush and such expeditions usually turn up something of interest. Then engine needs to go back in, probably a bit of rewiring involved there. New jib sheets tracks to be bought and fitted. Seacocks need removing, overhauled and refitted. Mine are blakes bronze ones which are seeping a tiny bit so I’ll need to find some valve grinding paste and try to get them up to spec again. And find some way of testing that they do their job before refitting. And being bronze they need to be electrically isolated from the steel hull which they are fitted to otherwise all sorts of nasty corrosion happens, can’t have that can we. Then that leaves overhauling the aries windvane and getting it refitted. And probably a hundred and one other jobs which I can’t even start to think about right now.

Don’t ever buy a boat.

Of course the real reality is that although I may occasionally utter a rather rude word it is actually fantastic and I love it. Having the luxury of no deadlines but instead a job will take as long as it takes, going for a walk down the beach feeling the warmth of morning sun in your face, a walk to the market to buy some fresh fish & veg for dinner, a glass of cheap red wine in the South Bar at the marina and a chat with some other long distance sailors (“Of course, you don’t have to go through the Panama canal, why not turn left a little and check out Brazil” “Madeira’s beautiful, you gotta go there”…. Wow, am I really one of them? ) .

So don’t ever buy a boat. Unless you want to swap deadlines for freedom, be consistently surprised by how friendly and helpful people can be. Unless you want to feel the heat of the sun and feel the wind carry your home effortlessly across the sea to new places and meet new friends along the way. You aren’t on holiday looking at the perfect view, you live there and you are the view.

Well that’s enough rambling and painting for one day. Must be happy hour by now…..

(Click here for some piccys   http://www.flickr.com/photos/58131900@N00/ 

or here for a bit of video

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Yachtconachair)

Feb. 22, 2007 - All work and some play

Haven't touched this site for ages and ages but must give it a go as uploading a website is proving to be not so easy in cybercafes.

So latest news in a nutshell, Conachair now in Lagos, Portugal on the hard at Sopromar boatyard. Left Brighton mid June last year, spent some time exploring Britteny then across Biscay from Brest to North Spain, then down the coast to Algarve, reaching here mid September. Then off to work for a few months to earn a pennies for boat kitty. Now back onboard for the forseeable future.

Boatyard doing a fine job at repainting the outside of the hull while I swear and sweat a lot painting the inside. Could do to be a cross between inspector gadget and a hobbit to paint the bilges but getting there. In cybercafe right now having a coffee and waiting for paint to dry. Engine out getting some TLC again by boatyard. Hate to think what the final bill will be but it really is a fantastic boatyard, very proffessional. No problem living aboard either, though living aboard a boat in a boatyard is slight less than glamourous, not quite pims for the foredeck but at least the sun shines most days and good social life in bars along the marina. Prob here for another month then who can tell, would like to visit Seville, probable on to Gib and take it from there. First I'll paint me bilges!!

Adios

Apr. 23, 2005 - Details of Conachair

Conachair (pronounced kon-a-kair) is a steel 33' Ebbtide. Designed by Alan Pape specifically to be built in steel and as a long distance cruising yacht. Long keel with transom hung rudder, tiller steering.

Favorite kit for me is the wind gen & the aries. Batteries always charged & aries steers better than I can.

Electrics:

Garmin gps 128 gps

depth sounder with repeater in cockpit

car radio cassette

Aero4gen wind generator

Rig

cutter rigged with slab reefing main, roller reefing foresail. Seperate truck on mast for storm trysail.

Mast steps

Aries windvane

Misc.

Drip feed diesil heater below.

Force 10 gas cooker.

Fridge run from engine.

Hot/cold  water, heated via calorifier from engine.

Apr. 23, 2005 - My first blog

My pride and joy. Steel Ebbtide 33'.  Currently in Holyhead but shortly to be moved round to the Medway. Only 2 trips so far. 19th / 20th March 2005 saw the maiden voyage (for me) to the delightful anchorage of Rhoscolyn. This also saw the start of the eternal lobster quest, ebay lobster pot pays for it self straight away with a medium sized one caught & immediately transfered into pan of boiling water. Crew ate well that night. (single handed so all the more for me!).

Second trip was a couple of weekends later to another delightful anchorage next to pretty village of Cemaes.

Next passages willl be longer, perhaps to Milford Haven then the big one up the channel to the Medway.