Winded Voyage Sailing Archive – Page 3

Having the will to sail away is one thing. Having the boat to do it with is another. My engine is fixed and we're ready to go. We meet friends who have sailed from far. Sweden and Finland. Then it's our turn to go. Conditions are good, but in the Med that ...

We tried to stay ahead of the low pressure system coming behind us, but it came faster and stronger than we thought. With the wind topping at more than 35kt with a big swell, we took refuge just at nightfall. We made a wise decision as it rained and the wi...

Gibraltar. The Rock. A tiny piece of the UK on the fringe of the Iberian Peninsula. What’s is it like? For us it was place to fix our steering cable. To get there, you have to cross a border then an airport runway, on foot! We got the parts fixed the ste...

Winded Voyage is on the African continent. Legendary Tangier Morocco, where spies hid, rockstars partied and poets got high. A favorite city for travellers and the two man crew of Galopin. We discover and get lost in the old city to find a bounty of goods ...

We had a good weather forecast for the next 4 to 5 days. So we left Tangier Morocco out into the Atlantic to the Canary Island about 600 nautical miles south. It was quite a change from the Mediterranean. Big soft rolling waves, steady wind and lots of su...

Just about everybody at one point or another has had either the dream or the passing notion of getting on a boat and doing what I'm doing. And now after more than 2000 nautical miles along the coast of Spain, across to Africa and out into the Atlantic Ocea...

Lanzarote Island in the Canaries. The island of 100 volcanoes and many wonderful people. I explore part of the island and meet a fellow Swiss for cheese fondue on his Joshua sailboat as well as a former Parisian who’s been on the island ever he since he ...

Me and Steph make a pretty good crew on Galopin. We sailed from Arrecife to Playa Blanca along the western coast of Lanzarote. It was a great sail downwind but on the way back we had a problem and had to turn back. So we had a look at the town of Playa Bla...

We discover Cesar Manrique's Lanzarote. The island's destiny was modelled by the brillant artist. His idea was to conceptualise the island for tourism in harmony with its unique landscape. Sort of like a concept art theme park set in nature. The attraction...

Lanzarote is the island of 100 volcanoes. So we cruise down volcano road, in Timanfaya national park. A most amazing landscape. Which is the case of much of Lanzarote. Artist Cesar Manrique took advantage of the volcanic geology of the island and created s...

There's more ways to sail. This time it's in the air with my friend Jean Yves on his Ultra Light Delta Wing. Amazing experience, yet a bit freaky. Along with some bow sprit repair, this episode also takes us to a music festival in the volcanic vineyards. T...

Jack Sparrow is alive and well and going on his last raid. With his crew up in the mountains and back down. It's in fact my cousin who's playing the part for his bachelor party. He happens to be a sailor and we grabbed him for his boat and took him on a wi...

I'm back on dear old Galopin. And it's a good thing, he seemed to have missed me, and I sure missed him. I hang out with some friends I met through YouTube. Socializing thanks to social media. Dan comes down with his girlfriend for a short visit and we sai...

The truth is you're never really living alone when living aboard. At Marina Lanzarote, there's plenty of people to make friends with. And the marina staff is really cool. And you rarely solo sail naked. But if you're going to do it, it's best to do it when...

I'm pretty good at making videos, sailing I've still got a lot to learn. So I go out and sail as much as I can. The wind is always present in Lanzarote, so it's great practice. But since I've been asked how I make my videos, I show off my gear, and I take ...

It's back to solo sailing. But before that I install my new anchor bow sprit and go off to help my neighbor crew with some guest on his boat Chica. Later I sail south to test out my Mantus anchor at Isla de Lobos. Great downwind sailing to the island and a...

The solo sail continues as do the anchor tests. I revisit the naked beach, Playa Mujeres, to drop the hook for another test and a swim ashore. Then I go to spend a night a Marina Rubicon and visit my friends Pilou & Aurelie. The next day we go and sail...

La Graciosa island is a favorite to many sailors and Canary natives. It has one of the few good anchorages of all the archipelago. The island has no roads because only the few residents living there have the right to have a car. After several months in the...

La Graciosa Island has the best anchorage in all the Canaries. And some of the best local sights. I take a walk up a volcano to get a good view of the island and I'm not disappointed! It's beautiful! Then I make my way back sailing down to Arrecife in grea...

My son Seb joins me for the next leg of my journey.We would Canary island hop. After some final work to my anchor bowsprit, we would leave Lanzarote island for good and head to La Graciosa. I didn't know how my son would deal with the first journey. But he...

It was an arduous sail for my son Seb to get La Graciosa, but once there he was cured of his ills. Together we discover another part of the island and prepare for another day long sail to Isla De Lobos. A beautiful journey along the western coast of Lanzar...

We anchor at Isla de Lobos in more than 20 knots of wind. We were rocked all night and the next day we explore the island just long enough to be on solid ground before we head south. The wind and waves are back, pushing us fiercely along the East Coast of ...

Seb and I continue sailing down the east coast of Fuerteventura until we moor at Morro Jable. The mooring is in an adjacent part of the marina where you are left to moor on your own. We are immediately warned that there are rats that climb aboard and try t...

The big open ocean is intimidating, at times. For Seb, it's scary at all times. But on his journey on Galopin, conquering that fear was part pf his Winded Voyage. Which he did. We also saw whales! And this voyage took us to Gran Canaria to meet friends' of...

We are nearing the end of our journey from Arrecife on Lanzarote island to Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Tenerife island. Leaving Puerto Megan on the southern side of Gran Canaria island, we were sheltered by the prevailing northern winds. I was warned of the ...

After cruising around 6 Canary Islands, it was time to stroll around Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Galopin was moored at Marina Santa Cruz which at the city's feet. It felt great to walk the streets, the parks of the city. Seb loved it but had to get back to Sw...

Music everywhere. A mock WWII battle. Hommage to the military. A short taste of Carnaval, all this in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Then I land in another city on an Island far up north from The Canaries. Every city has it's story to tell, this is a ...

I can't find my sailboat, but find myself back in my old profession. I get lost in the English countryside but find one of my old friends and Stonehenge. I'm back living my old life temporarily until I get back to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and find good old G...

Tenerife is the biggest of the Canary Islands and the most varied in landscape. Beaches, mountains, forests, deserts and of course volcanos. Me and my cousin go forth and discover as much as we can while he's visiting me and Galopin. This island is truly a...

After a last day sail up the coast of Tenerife, me and my cousin have a last night in Santa Cruz. And it's a pretty good one, but he's gone back home. And I go to see some amazing sights. Some pretty some not. All in all Tenerife is one incredible island ...

Tenerife is a popular tourist destination, but I wanted to see places less travelled. I stumble on a colourful little coastal pueblo and my friend Daniel comes to visit and we go for a long forest trek up a mountain. In between I had some time to take care...

It seemed appropriate to sail around the island of Tenerife since Dan was visiting me and Galopin. Before setting off for the circumnavigation, we visit one more spectacular site named Masca. Then we get on to sailing, having a try flying the big orange sp...

Tenerife island is the largest of the Canary Islands. And we're sailing around it. Our circumnavigation takes us to the southern part of the island. Where the tourist resorts are, some good anchorages and Los Gigantes, The Giants. And the sailing goes from...

Our last leg of our circumnavigation of Tenerife island ends climactically! Weather predictions don't say much about crazy wind effects near the coastline, and we got thrashed. It makes for good content when I was able to shoot in-between gales. It started...

I've been living in Santa Cruz several weeks now. Most people just stay long enough to do some repairs, shop for provisions, have a quick visit of the city and island and head off across the ocean. You make many friends at the marina. You'll meet some of t...

Rockstars come in various shapes and forms as you'll see in this episode. In Tenerife, there is always something new to see. And more people to meet. Like a young French crew who tested their sea legs on Galopin. It's always fun to take a sail in the open ...