Return of the Dragon

If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then, this parting was well made. (Julius Caesar. William Shakespeare) It is hard to believe that one year ago today, at this time, I was aboard Tatsu motoring into a building headwind, having been at sea for three days. My sojourn in Sardinia…

Out and About in Alghero

January has without doubt, been a great start to 2022 here in Sardinia. The weather has been mild and dry and the strong winds we had in November and December have not put in an appearance this year. I’m wondering if this is typical of the climate in Sardinia, as I have noticed in recent…

An Accidental Tourist.

My arrival in Alghero has proved to be a most fortunate, if unintended addition to my itinerary. Once I had refuelled Tatsu, I enquired at the fuel pontoon if there might be an available berth somewhere for a few days. In a trice, there was a small RIB alongside and I was ushered off the…

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men…

The departure from Cartagena went smoothly. There was not even a breath of wind. I untied the bow lines and went aft to slip the stern lines. We motored out smoothly in the half light. The sea was still. Barely a ripple. Out, beyond the breakwater, where the ripples in the sea became wavelets, we motored…

grib files, winds and shopping lists.

I have downloaded more GRIB files in the last week that I have in the last four years! These little data files contain the latest weather reports and enable me to run my next passage in real time through the forecast, using a clever piece of software. And it seems that the wind gods have…

A Comparison of Yachts and Caravans…

A great many people I know have in the last year or so, for a variety of reasons, sold their yacht and turned to land travel in the form of a camper van or caravan. From the perspective of living aboard one, it is not entirely misguided to compare a yacht with a camper van.…

On Wind, Dust and Toil Ashore.

The end of our third week on the hard in the boat yard is fast approaching and a great deal of work has been completed. Five bronze skin fittings, the fittings used to maintain the holes in the hull, to allow sea water in or waste water out, have been replaced and some have had…

This was the most unkindest cut of all…

I have heard it said that sometimes the worst place you can be is in your own head. And on a sunny morning in April this year, as I fixed my gaze on the contents of my Pela pump, my head was indeed a tumultuous place to be. I had siphoned six litres of fluid…

On Crossing Oceans and the Frailty of Yoghurt Pots.

Robin Knox-Johnston has been widely quoted as saying that he learns something every time he steps aboard a boat. As someone who has completed two solo circumnavigations his words serve to remind anyone who considers themselves to be a sailor, that there is an infinite amount to learn about the art. Living aboard Tatsu I…

The Solar Saga, a Lesson in Tolerance!

Those of you who watch Tatsu’s sporadic YouTube vlog will have seen that the solar panel project has been completed. At least, that is the inference. In fact, it rumbles on, past the eleven month point and, like a bent shopping trolley with a gammy wheel, it lurches down the supermarket aisle of time without…