S/Y Babette Sails to the Caribbean

4am: We mark a new x in the chart, this time in "Norskerennet". A bright, sunny day is already dawning. As gentle winds push us ...

The short, light nights of the North, what an improvement on the twelve hours of pitch black night in the Caribbean. And there is the y...

A fine, sunny morning. Flat seas. We read the NavTex weather warnings and listen to the Aberdeen Coast Guard. They agree that strong winds...

Covesea Village revisited. It's been one year and two days since last we were here. Since than Mary Hovenden has had her 90th birthday...

6am, says the alarm clock. Not quite civilized: yawn. But we have a date with a tide. We're off and sailing down Loch Ness towards Loc...

Chirp, chirp. Mooo. Plenty of company out here in the pouring rain. At Cullochy . But no lock-keeper. Suddenly the Canal's biggest custo...

8am. A reasonable hour. "Adventura II" and "Babette" are lifted up the sea lock. And who do we see? "Vanvara"!...

Tide tables and gps waypoints: we're out in the salty Scottish fjords again. A sunny day on flat waters. Pulling us along in their tidal...

At 10am we're locking up. Good-by salt water and tidal flows. "Sedna" and "Babette" step up, lock by lock, into the ...

Brrrrrrrrrrring . Even earlier. 3:30am, says the merciless alarm clock. Time to abandon cosy warm quilts and face the damp cold predawn. We...

The Tall Ships Festival in Belfast is spread about the docks and city. So we didn't manage to see some of the events we were looking fo...

July 1st. It's not the victory/defeat, depending on your viewpoint, in the Battle of the Boyne, fought on another 1st of July, back in ...

Brrrring! The alarm clock sounds in a dark, icy Babette. 4:30am. And it's time to catch a tide. "Sedna" and "Babette...

We start off in the Temple Bar area for a pub lunch. "The Oliver St. John Gogarty Pub". Try saying that after a pint or two of Gu...