Royal Northumberland Yacht Club
Royal Northumberland Yacht Club

Members’ Cruising Logs

Over the years members have written accounts (logs) of their cruises far and wide. The web gives us the opportunity to publish some of these to a wider audience. They are all good yarns and you may find inspiration here when planning your own cruises.

We remain keen to continue to publish cruising logs here, but some members have preferred to run their own websites or blogs of their cruises. Notable among these are:

Logs submitted to this site by members are listed below:

  • Summer Cruise 2014 – Schuuper – Part 3
    24th July – 16th August. Gairloch to Blyth via Orkney After a great ECSW and many family affairs we found our way to Newcastle station for the complex return trip to Baddachro – and the train was running late, which meant we would miss all our connections aaghh ! A little known fact that we… Read more: Summer Cruise 2014 – Schuuper – Part 3
  • 2014 Summer Cruise – Schuuper – Part 2
    Read part 1 of this log June 23rd – 12th July. The Irish side of the Irish Sea We returned to Schuuper on early morning flight accompanied by Ian, Sue’s brother. Weather was hot and sunny but no wind, so headed into Dublin for the evening. Caught the Luas along with 500+ teenagers returning from… Read more: 2014 Summer Cruise – Schuuper – Part 2
  • 2014 Summer Cruise – Schuuper – Part 1
    Our cruise this year was broadly 3 x 3 week sections, giving us 9 wonderful weeks onboard. A rewarding first Summer of Retirement – and our introduction to The Magic Carpet! Part 1 May 18th – 8th June. Scotland/IOM/Wales/Ireland (should have got a Celtic nations flag) A strong Southerly with rain was not the best… Read more: 2014 Summer Cruise – Schuuper – Part 1
  • Log of Bolivar 1979 – Seahouses and Holy Island – Amble and Seahouses
    August  23 – 28th Thursday We cleared Blyth at 11.00 with a fair tide and a force 2/3 Westerly, so made brisk progress, passed Coquet Island in 2 hrs. 40 minutes and Boulmer Stile in 3 hrs 45 minutes.  We were bound for Seahouses where we were to spend a couple of days meeting friends… Read more: Log of Bolivar 1979 – Seahouses and Holy Island – Amble and Seahouses
  • Log of Bolivar 1979 – Blyth – Craster – Newton – Boulmer – Blyth
    The new baby, Katie, had her first sail when she was some four weeks old and through June we had had several races and sails with her on board. She slept her first night on board on the Bass Rock weekend when Bolivar had to man the finishing line in Blyth Bay.  We decided that… Read more: Log of Bolivar 1979 – Blyth – Craster – Newton – Boulmer – Blyth
  • Log of Bolivar 1979 – Summer Cruise to the River Tay
    Summer Cruise to the River Tay Thursday 2nd August 1979 Katie was three months to the day as we cleared Blyth at 07.55 heading North, hopefully for Perth up the Tay, and Johnshaven and Gourdon, the three main targets, but hopefully many additional places as well.  The anticipation, planning and dreaming is half the fun… Read more: Log of Bolivar 1979 – Summer Cruise to the River Tay
  • Log of Bolivar 1979 – Holy Island Weekend
    13th – 13th July The Holy Island weekend seems fated! Again it was organized for big spring tides which would be foul through the Farnes from 03.00 Saturday for going North and 10.00 Sunday for coming South! It also was arranged only one week before the Holland Race. There was the usuall small fleet: Bolivar,… Read more: Log of Bolivar 1979 – Holy Island Weekend
  • Log of Bolivar 1979 – The Granton Race
    The Boat Bolivar is a, 4 ton Hillyard, built in 1935 and sailed since then on the North East Coast.  With her large areas of varnished teak, bowsprit, and bumkin she looks rather old fashioned even for her time and the layout while extremely comfortable for two cannot be claimed to make maximum use of… Read more: Log of Bolivar 1979 – The Granton Race
  • Log of Summer Cruise in Stella Peacock 1983
    Log of Summer Cruise in Stella Peacock 1983 The plan of cruising the Orkneys and Shetland in Peacock had germinated the previous autumn, had taken root by Christmas and had blossomed during the spring. Charts were borrowed and bought, sailing directions, guide books, maps and almanacs obtained, crews and transport scheduled and the boat prepared, stowed, fuelled… Read more: Log of Summer Cruise in Stella Peacock 1983
  • Josephine of Hoo’s Cruise to Scotland 1987
    Blyth to Clachnaharry Josephine received no more than a perfunctory lick of varnish, and a coat of anti-fouling, for her winter re-fit in 1986/87. There was much more work to be done on her “tender”, a Mirror Dinghy called M-T. M-T had suffered a stove-in bow in a collision with the safety boat during Cadet Week 1986. In case anyone… Read more: Josephine of Hoo’s Cruise to Scotland 1987
  • Josephine of Hoo’s Cruise to the Shetlands 1986
    Blyth to Kirkwall The crew for Josephine‘s 1986 cruise were my brother, Colin, with whom, many years ago, I used to sail on an old GP14 dinghy, and Edward Chester, who readers of Josephine‘s previous logs, will have encountered on her cruise to Denmark in 1984, and to the Dutch Provinces in 1985. This year we decided to forgo… Read more: Josephine of Hoo’s Cruise to the Shetlands 1986
  • Josephine of Hoo’s Cruise to the Netherlands 1985
    Blyth to Ijmuiden (via Whitby) In 1984, Josephine of Hoo cruised extensively in Danish waters. Her crew became so enamoured of flat, tideless seas, sunshine and soft winds, that in 1985 the decision was made to re-sample the luxury of continental sailing, by visiting Holland. The crew were to be Edward Chester and Don MacFaul,… Read more: Josephine of Hoo’s Cruise to the Netherlands 1985
  • Josephine of Hoo’s Farœs Cruise 1982
      1. Planning 2. The first leg – Blyth to Kirkwall 3. Orkney to Farœ 4. Torshavn 5. Klaksvik, Eidi, Vestmanhavn 6. Farœ to Orkney 7. Skarabrae and Maeshowe 1. Planning We did not choose to cruise to the Farœ Islands in the same year as the Falklands Crisis, but the coincidence demonstrated that most people have… Read more: Josephine of Hoo’s Farœs Cruise 1982
  • Goddess Freya’s Orkney Cruise 1979
    The boat and her crew Goddess Freya is a Folkboat, 25′ LOA, 7′.2 Beam and 4′ Draft. Long keeled and with the legendary sea-kindliness of her class, she seemed a good boat for the trip, even if the absence of both a self-draining cockpit or a reliable auxiliary motor added to the hazards of longer… Read more: Goddess Freya’s Orkney Cruise 1979
  • The Log of the Iolanthe 1930
    The Skipper: A Johnson Crewed by Geoffrey and Robin The gaff sloop Iolanthe was a double-ender built at Kolbjornsvik, Arendal in Norway in 1915. This, the third of Arthur Johnson’s logs, and his last on board Iolanthe, recounts a cruise in company with Brunette from the River Tyne towards Aberdeen. 9/8/30 Iolanthe took her departure… Read more: The Log of the Iolanthe 1930
  • The Log of the Iolanthe 1928
    The Skipper: A Johnson 1st Mate and Purser: R Davy A.B.: L Davy Cabin Boy: T Thackary The gaff sloop Iolanthe was built at Kolbjornsvik, Arendal in Norway in 1915. In 1928 her owner, Arthur Johnson, was a member of Tynemouth Sailing Club. He joined the Northumberland Yacht Club later. This log recounts a cruise… Read more: The Log of the Iolanthe 1928
  • The Log of the Iolanthe 1927
    The Skipper: A Johnson The crew: R Davy The double-ended gaff sloop Iolanthe was built at Kolbjornsvik, Arendal in Norway in 1915. In 1927 her owner, Arthur Johnson, was a member of Tynemouth Sailing Club. He joined the Northumberland Yacht Club later. In common with other yachts of the time, Iolanthe was laid up in… Read more: The Log of the Iolanthe 1927
  • The Log of the Rowena: Oban to Blyth 1931
    By Manus O’Donnell Leaving home at Cullercoats on Friday morning 7th August 1931, for Newcastle where an hour was spent in attending to necessary business, a start was made for Carlisle. Unfortunately our Armstrong Siddeley when a few miles on the way proclaimed the fact that she had a broken spring, which necessitated slow running… Read more: The Log of the Rowena: Oban to Blyth 1931
  • Through Patagonia with Lista Light
    Brian Lowrie When our son David and his wife Katharine invited us to join them to take their old wooden gaff ketch, Lista Light, through the Chilean channels of Patagonia, we couldn’t refuse.  Lista Light is a 75 year old, 50ft converted Norwegian fishing vessel with a 13ft bowsprit which they had purchased in UK in 2008. They… Read more: Through Patagonia with Lista Light
  • RYA Practical Cruise, Clyde – Dipper
    Angus Robson Those abandoning all hope were Mike Bradley- Course Skipper Mike Shipway- Coastal Skipper Practical Chris Eggett- Coastal Skipper Practical James Robson- Competent Crew Angus Robson- Competent Crew Our Vessel Dipper a 38ft Jeanneau Sunshine class Sat 16th April Arrived Largs  12.30 and met with the lovely Avril from Flamingo Charters, from whom myself and James had… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise, Clyde – Dipper
  • Sheevra’ing in Shetland
    Jonathan, Pippa, Hugo and Elizabeth Wallis (How we saw the green flash.) This year was an even year which meant we turned left on leaving Blyth. Destination Muckle Flugga? We left at 1930 on 9th July and close reached up the coast until wind began to die when we were off Boulmer, so engine on and… Read more: Sheevra’ing in Shetland
  • Sheevra’s Summer Adventure
    Sheevra was launched in Harwich in 1969, 40th hull out of the mould to a 1966 design by Olin Stephens. The first UK based boat named Casse Tete II was number 3 out of the mould and famously in 1967 was the only boat yet to win every race in her class at Cowes week.  Casse Tete was bought a… Read more: Sheevra’s Summer Adventure
  • Sheevra’s Scottish West Coast Cruise
    Jonathan Wallis (photographs by Hugo Wallis) In 2007 we went south to Harwich to find the sun, and found a deal of rain and wind. Clearly we did not go far enough south. So in 2008 we decided to turn left and head for Scotland on the grounds that it could not be much worse… Read more: Sheevra’s Scottish West Coast Cruise
  • RYA Practical, Clyde – Firebird
    The RNYC Easter Cruise 2007 Following the pre-cruise briefing a fortnight earlier, the crew of Firebird, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 sloop, met up and shared a lift up to Largs in order to get to know each other. Simon, an Accountant, Roger, a Nurse Practitioner, and Steve, a former Royal Marine, were all doing Day… Read more: RYA Practical, Clyde – Firebird
  • Farne’s World Cruise, Cape Town
    Brian Lowrie We arrived in Durban on the 10th Nov after 6000 miles in the turbulent Indian Ocean. What delight to wander ashore from the joint moorings of the Royal Natal Yacht Club (reciprocal membership with our RNYC) and the Point Yacht Club to eat, drink and socialise with friendly locals and other cruisers. But… Read more: Farne’s World Cruise, Cape Town
  • RYA Practical Cruise, Clyde – Jay
    Hugh Stephenson Yacht Jay, a Bavaria 38 Most things these days start on a Web Site. This was no exception. The course notice on the RNYC site gave a glowing description of the Clyde as a sailing area and, if you couldn’t resist, you downloaded an application form. When you got the invitation to the pre-course… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise, Clyde – Jay
  • RYA Practical Cruise, Clyde – Skua
    Kevin Milburn Three Five Men in a Boat Saturday 22nd April. It took three and a half hours to drive to Largs marina where I met up with the rest of the crew of Skua, a 37ft Bavaria. Rob, Ben and Steve all had a lot of cruising experience prior to the start of the course… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise, Clyde – Skua
  • Farne’s World Cruise – Indian Ocean
    Brian Lowrie Early September 2005 found us checking out of Australia, anxious to collect our new EPIRB and get on our way westward. On 12 September we beat our way out of Darwin Bay. We were keen to have a final look at the Kimberleys – a remote area in NW Australia with river gorges… Read more: Farne’s World Cruise – Indian Ocean
  • RYA Practical, Full Moon, Clyde
    Nick, Steve, Damian & Ian “There’s a full moon out tonight” The infamous voyage of Full Moon. 22nd to the 29th April 2006 in the Clyde Estuary The crew of Full Moon were as follows: Damian and Steve, two friends who had mistakenly booked the wrong holiday on the Internet whilst looking for Ibiza uncensored and found themselves… Read more: RYA Practical, Full Moon, Clyde
  • Farne’s World Cruise – Australia
    Brian Lowrie After nearly a week in the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea we needed to get going west again. After a BBQ on a deserted island with three Aussie yachts the previous evening we set off through the surrounding reefs, into deep water and towards Australia’s “Top End”. We had considered avoiding Australia… Read more: Farne’s World Cruise – Australia
  • Summer Wine in the Baltic
    Diane Carr Skipper: Colin Davidson (Foggy) Crew: Mary Ryder (Edie), John White (Barry ), Brian Cordiner (Cleggy  ), Diane Carr (Marina  ) Location: Copenhagen Day 1 July 25th 2004 Arrived late evening at Kastrup Lystebehavn after a very easy and inexpensive  Easyjet flight and a short taxi ride.  Colin was impressed by the low marina… Read more: Summer Wine in the Baltic
  • RYA Practical Cruise – Kookaburra
    Keith Cameron Saturday May 28 Bob and I were first to arrive in a very wet car park at Craobh Marina. We chatted with the owners of Kookaburra, the Jeanneau Sunrise 34 that was to be our home for the next week, while we waited for the rest of the squad to turn up. We… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise – Kookaburra
  • RYA Practical Cruise – Jay
    Caroline Bellerby The RNYC’s practical course this year was extremely eventful, especially aboard our yacht Jay, a nicely appointed 40 ft Bavaria that, unfortunately, did not handle quite as well as she looked. There were four of us students on board – Shirley, Keith, Andrew and me – all doing Coastal Skipper – and our… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise – Jay
  • RYA Practical Cruise – Flamingo
    Gordon Bellerby We were a motley bunch, the crew of yacht Flamingo. Jason a policeman, John a surgeon, Jim a radio engineer and myself a farmer, all doing Day Skipper, and then there was Pete, our instructor, whose long and varied life had encompassed most of our individual skills and more. We were ready for… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise – Flamingo
  • Orkney re-visited
    Linda Lane Thornton It is a truth universally acknowledged that yachties possessing a wish to cruise to Orkney must be in want of fair weather. We’d been very lucky in 2003 and had spent some time wondering whether it was too much to think that we’d get good weather two years running when others had… Read more: Orkney re-visited
  • RYA Practical Cruise
    Mike Farrell A Competent Crew’s Tale I should have realised at the pre-meeting that things would be cramped. Tony, the gallant captain casually suggested that his car may not be up to the journey to Largs. I therefore volunteered mine, a Renault Scenic where the seats can be taken out. I saw the glint in… Read more: RYA Practical Cruise
  • Farne’s World Cruise
    Anne Lowrie Message sent Friday, October 08, 2004 3:50 AM This was written during our crossing to new Zealand last week and is sent from Whangarei. We are just crossing the South New Hebrides Trench on our way from Fiji to NZ, 400 miles out on the last of our passages for this year, the… Read more: Farne’s World Cruise
  • Big Cat in the Caribbean
    Diane Carr The boat: Leopard 47 ‘Local Hero’ Based at: TMM, Blue Lagoon, St Vincent The skipper/owner: Phil Lever Crewed by: Neil and Pam Bell, John Westwell, Brian Cordiner and Diane Carr Day 1 February 23rd Blue Lagoon Brian and I finally arrived at St Vincent airport (one shack) about 9pm local time after a long… Read more: Big Cat in the Caribbean
  • RYA Day Skipper Practical Week, Largs
    Nick Stevens As we set off on an ominously windy Saturday afternoon from Largs Yacht Haven, I think we all felt a little trepidation at what was to come in the following week. Little did we know what the next 24 hours would bring. Tony, our instructor, had proudly announced to us a couple of… Read more: RYA Day Skipper Practical Week, Largs
  • Log of Pasu
    Nigel Swanston This log won the Walker Cup 2003. Menorca to Croatia, via Sardinia, Sicily, the Aeolian Islands and Southern Italy. Mahon (Menorca) to Portoscuso (Sardinia) 200 nms. July 15. On board are Sandy Waring and Tim Cox Leave Mahon late afternoon, NE 3 forecast, but by dusk are punching into a steadily freshening easterly… Read more: Log of Pasu
  • Slipstream Summertime and the Sailing ain’t Easy
    Julie Elliott I’d spent the past few weeks, and a small fortune on charts, preparing for our 3 week summer holiday on board Slipstream, our Beneteau First 31.7. We were aiming for the Orkneys and set off early on midsummer’s day in perfect westerly conditions. As we sailed out through the piers the sun came… Read more: Slipstream Summertime and the Sailing ain’t Easy
  • Layback in the Orkney Islands
    Linda Lane Thornton Andy and I decided on the Orkney Islands as our holiday destination for 2003 some time around Easter, and had spent several evenings discussing passage plans. During the summer we noticed that the wind direction seemed to change every 3-4 days. Consequently, we had two plans. Plan A was a direct route… Read more: Layback in the Orkney Islands
  • Josephine’s Summer Cruise
    Bruce Grant Josephine of Hoo is a stor Tumlaren designed to the 30 sq m Scandinavian handicap by Knud Reimers in the late 1930s. Tumlaren is Swedish for porpoise; stor is big to distinguish her from the designer’s smaller 20 sq m Tumlaren. She is a distinctive mahogany double ender 32′ LOA, 8′ beam, and 5’6″… Read more: Josephine’s Summer Cruise
  • Hebridean Cruise
    Bruce Grant The Boat: Varis is a Rival 32. Her home mooring is at Ardoran Marine, in Loch Feochan, a mainland loch, lying to the south of Kerrera Sound near Oban, Argyllshire. The Crew: Skipper, Ed Chester; Crew, Bruce Grant both of Royal Northumberland YC. Saturday The cruise started on Saturday 24 August when we made a… Read more: Hebridean Cruise
  • Pasu’s Cruise from the Hamble to the Balearics
    Nigel Swanston This log won the Walker Cup for the best cruising log in 2002. Pasu is a Jeanneau Sun Oddessey 31 owned by the Swanston family. She was bought about 5 years ago in Devon, and has been sailed extensively on the Orwell and Hamble. We started at Hamble on 10 May and after… Read more: Pasu’s Cruise from the Hamble to the Balearics
  • Slipstream’s Maiden Voyage
    Julie Elliott In 1993 when we got our first boat ExtroBitionist we decided to spend our summer holiday cruising the Northumberland coast. First stop was Amble where we promptly became storm bound for 3 days. For something to do we took the bus to Alnmouth and called at the Schooner for a drink. Friendly locals… Read more: Slipstream’s Maiden Voyage
  • Percy’s Progress
    Steve Green Six thirty am and the first tropical downpour of the day wakes me up. I am conscious of an unfilled promise to our rear commodore, Jim Swanston, to write an article for the newsletter and now, in the cool part of the day, seems like a good time to make a start. This… Read more: Percy’s Progress
  • RYA Training Cruise
    Largs & the Clyde 22/29th April 2000 30 aspiring students and 6 brave instructors converged on Largs Marina one fine Saturday in April. Each of the six chartered yachts became melting pots of human talents and characters as the crews rapidly got to know each other in the cockpits and confined spaces below. Some had… Read more: RYA Training Cruise
  • Coastal Skipper on the Clyde
    Ann Brindle Day 1: Geoff and I joined RAKI III, a Westerly Fulmar at Largs Yacht Haven after a quick sandwich lunch with Joyce. We enjoyed the sunshine while packing our gear into the boat, and met the rest of the crew. John and Stuart seemed friendly and helpful, and our instructor Colin was obviously a… Read more: Coastal Skipper on the Clyde
  • Millennium Norway Race
    David Morgan Albany Express skippered by David Morgan won the Millennium Race to Norway. Albany Express has now raced to Norway 3 times , 1994, 1997 and now 2000. We had a terrific start, leading the fleet across the line. It took ten minutes for the big boats Bright Eyes ” Oyster 41 ” and… Read more: Millennium Norway Race
  • North Sea Crossing
    Phil Walton Royal Northumberland Yacht Club Millennium Race from Blyth to Mandal It has been a lifetime ambition to cross the North Sea in a small boat ever since my first time to Norway by ferry forty years ago. My chance came with the Millennium race organised by the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club from Blyth… Read more: North Sea Crossing
  • I saw three ships…
    Fiona Mathieson In September 1998 my subscription copy of Sailing Today arrived in the post, what I didn’t know then was that it would change my life. The magazine contained an article about a company called Square Sails shipyard based in Charlestown, Cornwall who run a fleet of 3 wooden square rigged ships. I was… Read more: I saw three ships…
  • We went for a sail down under
    Julie Elliott You can travel to the other end of the earth but it still looks like Scotland in the rain! This was the verdict on our first day sailing in the Whitsundays in Australia. We’d flown to Hamiliton Island from Sidney after 5 days of sightseeing, eating, drinking and me sneezing. I’d brought a… Read more: We went for a sail down under
  • “Lees a-helm” oops or is that “Helm’s a lee”?
    Omer Tuzel (a Turkish diplomat) After a long and tiring journey from Vienna I finally dumped my rucksack in the cockpit of Kiwi, a Moody 31, and joined my shipmates, Cath, Mick and Andrew. Last year I had taken the Competent Crew course with Largs Sailing School under the instruction of Quentin Mitchell, who had kindly invited… Read more: “Lees a-helm” oops or is that “Helm’s a lee”?
  • The seven year itch
    Colin Davidson reports on his cruise in Border Reiver Wednesday 7th July 1999 – I am lying in bed, 6 a.m., in Hoorn in the Ijsselemeer. The sun is glinting on all shapes and sizes of houses around the harbour, heralding a beautiful day in prospect. I wonder why men bothered to leave this idyllic place to… Read more: The seven year itch
  • Tobago Race Week
    If ever you are sitting on a yacht, with your feet in the North Sea, a view of Ashington power station, and a dream of embarking on one of the several Caribbean Regattas then…go for the dream! Six of us from Northumberland (four are members of the RNYC and the remaining two of us seemed to… Read more: Tobago Race Week
  • Northumbrian Piper
    Dave Ward Over twenty years ago I converted a Northumberland Barn into a house. With the vagaries of interest rates during the eighties, the task nearly broke us, but we stuck it out, and brought up our kids in it. Later, we were able to afford some sailing, which along with my daughter’s pony club… Read more: Northumbrian Piper
  • RYA Training aboard Aquarelle
    Don Gunton Our crew comprised one Coastal Skipper, three Day Skippers and one Competent Crew. Manoeuvers on Sunday morning in Rothesay Bay revealed that Aquarelle was fine going forward under engine but what as about as manoeuverable as a soap dish going astern. Under sail in light airs, however, the 20 year old Pele Peterson,… Read more: RYA Training aboard Aquarelle
  • A Jolly on the Clyde
    Alex Tweddle Saturday Largs Marina was left behind as Kookaburra a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 34 with 2 ladies and 4 gents aboard looked for adventure on the Clyde. When we got to Rothesay we found the pontoon berth a little on the tight side. Exit was decided on by our mentor’s (Colin Grant) previous knowledge… Read more: A Jolly on the Clyde
  • Blyth to Orkney on Aquila
    Peter Nicholson (original water colours by the author) Terry Taylor on ‘La Sympatia’, and myself on ‘Aquila’ sailed single handed, in ‘tandem’, to Holland in June ’97, and we decided we would do a similar cruise in 1998. Terry has to take his holiday to fit in with his work, and so he had to… Read more: Blyth to Orkney on Aquila
  • Mandal moments
    North Sea Race The big event on the RNYC calendar this year was the race to Mandal on the Southernmost tip of Norway during the first week in August. There was an excellent turn out of 14 yachts, and the larger ones caught a fast weather window with stiff westerlies giving an exciting 50+ hour ride… Read more: Mandal moments
  • Cruising the Chesapeake
    Julie Elliott Inspired by an article in the July Yachting Monthly, we decided to spend our summer holiday this year cruising the Chesapeake Bay on America’s east coast. We’ve had ExtroBitionist for 5 years now and enjoy cruising the Northumbrian coast. However each time we’ve attempted to head north for a sailing holiday in Scotland, we’ve been either… Read more: Cruising the Chesapeake
  • The magical waterways of Blindleia
    Joint Venture – Norway 1997 Brian Lowrie A quick North Sea Race time of just over two days to Mandal left us plenty of time to demolish the duty free, explore the town and relax in the sunshine. However we only had one week, and we were anxious to explore the Norwegian Coast. Our North… Read more: The magical waterways of Blindleia
  • With Percy across the pond.
    Dick Bailey I wracked my small brain to invent an arresting title for this account of the 1996 ARC race in Kibito – I failed, but at least I found one, courtesy of Steve Green, to make your toes curl! Kibito (don’t ask what the name means – there isn’t time for the answer) is… Read more: With Percy across the pond.
  • Gay Caroline’s Vertue Viking Cruise
    Fiona Mathieson The written version of this Log was a Regional winner of the RYA Sail Cruising Committee’s Log Competition in 1997. No sooner had last year’s cruise finished and the salt spray dried on our decks than we’d began to plan this years cruise to Norway. We first heard the tall ships were going… Read more: Gay Caroline’s Vertue Viking Cruise
  • In Tandem
    Peter Nicholson (original watercolours by the author) During the long winter of 1996-97 Terry Taylor and I attended the Shore-based Ocean Yachtmaster Course at South Shields Marine Technical College, working together on the homework. In the same winter, the first of my retirement, I enjoyed a trip from Holland with Kevin MacFarlane in his new… Read more: In Tandem