My departure on a Transatlantic passage is delayed due to the virus. I explain the major improvements to the boat I have made in preparation for this passage: new bottom, new mainsail, new standing rigging, Iridium GO, temporary solar panels…..
I sail from Milford Haven Wales to La Rochelle France; I cross the English Channel in a near gale; I divert from Brest to Port Joinville France due to very high wind conditions; I discuss how I use navigation plotters (or not); and I arrive at my home mari...
I sail from the Isle of Man south to Ireland, and then onto 4 ports in Wales as I continue my journey toward home in France. I question the roll/yaw stability of my boat compared to more classic designs with a full keel; I try to develop a strategy for h...
I have received numerous requests from aspiring solo sailors to show how I hoist sails single-handed. Here is my demo of how I do this from the cockpit. There are many variations on a theme on how to do this. I make no claim that this is the best way. ...
I make an additional two port calls in the Hebrides before sailing across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland. I end the episode with a ten hour passage to Viking territory: the Isle of Man. Along the way, I manage not only to run aground in Rathlin Mari...
I show the rigging of the 'German System' mainsail sheet (continuous loop); I clean off tyre marks from a month in Iceland fishing ports; a few final pics of the exotic Faroe Islands; I set course for Scotland (225 NM away); and a Cargo ship (the Alethini)...
I sail solo from Iceland to the Faroe Islands; radar reflectors for boats; sailing on headsail only; sailing with conflicting weather forecasts; docking a sailboat with the docking stick.
I sail to the Arctic Circle along the Northern coast of Iceland. Several port arrivals in difficult wind conditions. How to share bollards by 'dipping the eye'. More on AIS transponders on fishing buoys.
I sail solo Iceland's Western coast to explore its fjords. I discuss boom brakes vs preventers; mooring against harbor walls with tires; diesel fuel pre-filters; and the challenge of vastly varying winds in the fjords.
I set sail from Galway, Ireland for Iceland ---- an 800 NM crossing of the N Atlantic. Conditions are safe, but uncomfortable. I explain my wind management strategy, and am surprised by an island acceleration zone on arrival --- with winds of 35+ knots...
I sail from France to Ireland --- with no specific destination in mind! I cross the entrance to the TSS and to my regret, try to give way to the big cargo ships. NOTE: ENGINE ON OR OFF DOES NOT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF THIS SITUATION. (Look at the geometr...
I start my trip to Iceland by sailing up the West coast of France; I make an awkward arrival at a port due to tidal current; I manage to change a speed log without sinking the boat; and I divert from planned destination due to high winds and lee shore in t...
Picking up a mooring ball under sail; Steering (fail) with a sea anchor; Using a Loos shroud tensioner; Installing an inner forestay for a Solent staysail.
I sail solo home to France from Spain. Enroute I encounter a pod of whales and test a theory that they might be attracted by electronic music compositions by the artist 'Rone'. The evidence for this is compelling!
In the previous Episode I used the Docking Stick for the first time. It worked very well, but the spring line pulled the bow into the dock abruptly. In this video, I adjust the position of the spring line and it pulls the boat in nicely 'parallel'.
I demo an alternative to running to midships and trying to lasso a cleat, with the simple but efficient 'Docking Stick'. I use this in two docking approaches 'parallel to pontoon', and one 'reversing into slip' docking.
I sail my final few legs South down the coast of France to my home base of La Rochelle. I suggest a candidate for 'God's Tool'. A demonstration of my single line reefing system shows how I set a reef without leaving the cockpit. I demo the 'hove to' ma...
I test a back-up system for the autopilot (with mixed results). High winds at the end of my 180 NM leg from Ireland to the UK lead to a divert of 90 NM to France rather than entering a narrow port. I demonstrate my solo technique for gybing. Several...
I finish my North to South passage through the 'Sounds' and 'Mulls' of the Scottish Hebrides. I also demonstrate my technique for getting underway solo from a pontoon slip.
I bid farewell to the Faroe Islands and head south to Scotland's Outer Hebrides Islands. I demonstrate use of the emergency tiller, and film several dockings along the way.
I sail from the Shetland Islands, bound for the Faroe Islands (200 NM NW) when I lose my autopilot. What follows is without doubt my worst sailing experience, but favorable winds see me to my destination, exhausted. I explain the cause of the loss of au...
My final, solo sailing passage of 300 NM to the Shetland Islands. I show how to get weather at sea with Garmin InReach, and how I manage very strong winds when running downwind. Is Isabelle an honorary Viking?
I sail the Eastern coast of the UK from Dover to Blyth -- showing how I dock at various new ports (to me). I show a potentially helpful tip on how to get your reefing point placed perfectly, and I show an interesting collision avoidance sequence: Stand On...
Something AWESOME is coming!
Be the FIRST to know⛵
Sign up for exclusive updates and be the first to hear when we go live!
Get sneak peeks, exciting announcement, and special content straight to your inbox!
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to optimize our website, personalize and measure the effectiveness of advertising and collect statistics on usage. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Technical or Functional cookies
Always active
Technical or functional cookies are essential for the basic functionality of the website. They are necessary for general web administration, session identification, website security, and presenting optimized content based on your devices. They also improve the general usability of the website, enabling features such as logging in to your account, adding products to your shopping cart, and checking out securely. These cookies are crucial for the website to function properly and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are typically set in response to actions made by you, such as setting privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. While you can configure your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, please note that some parts of the site may not work properly if you do so. It’s important to mention that these cookies do not store any personally identifiable information directly related to your identity. We may place these cookies without your explicit consent as they are strictly necessary for providing our service.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics or Performance cookies
We utilize statistics cookies to optimize the website experience for our users and gain insights into its usage, such as the number of website visitors, unique visitors, visited pages, and traffic sources. These cookies enable us to measure and enhance site performance by identifying the most and least popular pages and tracking visitor movement. This data aids us in understanding and analyzing website performance for continuous improvement. All collected data is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Disabling these cookies hampers our ability to monitor site visits and performance effectively. We ask for your permission to place statistics cookies.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing, Advertising, and Tracking cookies
On this website, we use marketing, advertising, and tracking cookies to personalize the advertisements we show to you, ensuring they are meaningful and relevant. These cookies also allow us (and third parties) to gain insights into the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. This is achieved by creating a profile based on your click behavior and Browse activity both on and outside our Website. These cookies link you, as a website visitor, to a unique ID, for example, to ensure you do not see the same advertisement repeatedly. The information stored in these cookies may also be used by third-party ad providers to show you ads on other websites you visit. Because these cookies are used for tracking and marketing purposes, we ask for your explicit permission to place them.