Carradale - Blue Tarn - 2008-2009 - Atlantic Crossings

CARRADALE'S BLUE TARN'S ATLANTIC CROSSINGS
2008 / 2009 WEB DIARY

In September 2008, Michael Foreman and Tony Leighton set off on Michael’s boat, the
Blue Tarn, to head for The Canary Islands. At the end of November, they joined a flotilla
of 214 boats sailing across The Atlantic Ocean and, three weeks later, on December 18,
they arrived at St Lucia, part of The Windward Islands in The Caribbean.
Leaving Blue Tarn in St Lucia, the two sailors flew back to Scotland to spend Christmas
with their families and then, a month later, it was back to St Lucia to cruise around The
Caribbean. Reaching Antigua at the end of March, Michael and Tony were joined by their
wives, Moira and Margaret, they returning home at the end of April and Blue Tarn returning
across The Atlantic to arrive in Campbeltown on Saturday June 13, 2009.
The web log of The Atlantic crossings was posted on the internet
http://blog.mailasail.com/bluetarn and here, to allow the yacht's positions to be plotted on
Google maps, a Degree Minute Second Convertor Latitude Longitude convertor
program from http://freegeographytools.com/2008/degree-minute-second-to-decimal-
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degree-converter had to be used to convert each of the log's "DMS" (Degrees, Minutes,
Seconds) positions into 'decimal' positions so that e.g. Campbeltown's latitude and
longitude of 55.25.35 N 5.36.19 W becomes 55.426389 N 5.605278 W, the only format
that the internet, so far, understands. CLICK ON LATITUDE and LONGITUDE
REFERENCES and USE THE ZOOM IN/OUT SLIDER to focus in on yacht and harbour
positions ! ! !
Blue Tarn’s Atlantic Adventure
Monday, September 15, 2008 - 11.15 - Campbeltown - 55.25.35N 5.36.19W
“You start on Monday with the idea implanted in your bosom that you are going to enjoy
yourself. You wave an airy adieu to the boys on shore, light your biggest pipe, and swagger
about the deck as if you were Captain Cook, Sir Francis Drake, and Christopher Columbus
all rolled into one. On Tuesday, you wish you hadn't come. On Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday, you wish you were dead. On Saturday, you are able to swallow a little beef tea, and
to sit up on deck, and answer with a wan, sweet smile when kind-hearted people ask you
how you feel now. On Sunday, you begin to walk about again, and take solid food. And on
Monday morning, as, with your bag and umbrella in your hand, you stand by the gunwale,
waiting to step ashore, you begin to thoroughly like it”. ( Jerome K. Jerome, “Three Men in
a Boat”)
The Boat - Blue Tarn is a Nicholson 35 Yacht. The vessel’s principal dimensions are 35'
3" LOA, 26' 9" LWL and 10' 5" Beam.
By today’s standards, this design is purely a cruising boat, although when originally
designed, she would have likely been considered a cruiser/racer. The hull features a low-
aspect fin keel with a large, unbalanced spade rudder mounted on a full-length skeg.
The Nicholson 35 has a very attractive sweep to the sheer, nicely balanced overhangs and
a low-profile cabin house that results in a handsome look that, although nearly 30 years old,
does not seem dated or old-fashioned.
The Crew - Skipper - Michael Foreman; Crew - John Mactaggart and Tony Leighton
The Plan - To depart Campbeltown at the end of September, sail across The Bay of
Biscay, down the coast of Portugal, out to Madeira and then on to the Canary Islands
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where we will join The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (The ARC)
http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/.
This annual transatlantic rally starts this year of 2008 on November 23rd in Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria. The rally is the largest trans-ocean sailing event in the world. This year
there are 225 yachts entered from all over the world. (There is one yacht that is smaller
than Blue Tarn in the event).
The Caribbean destination is Rodney Bay in St.Lucia, one of the most beautiful islands in
The Lesser Antilles. The 2,700 nautical mile passage on the NE tradewind route should
take us between 21 and 28 days.
The skipper and crew plan to return to the UK for Christmas and New Year. We will then
return to The Carribean which we intend to fully explore before sailing back via Bermuda
and The Azores, arriving back in Campbeltown in June 2009.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 - 20.51 - Campbeltown - 55.25.35 N 5.36.19 W -

Blue Tarn was craned out of the water today so that any growth on the hull could be
cleaned off. In fact, she was surprisingly clean. Many thanks to all those who helped.
Monday, September 29, 2008 - 10.47 - Campbeltown - 55.25.35N 5.36.19W -

Blue Tarn is now loaded with stores and all the equipment we think that we might need.
Our personal items will be loaded today and then we will be ready for departure. We are as
ready as we shall ever be !
Departure brings very mixed feelings. Of course we are excited to be going. But there are
also feelings of trepidation. Nothing ever goes entirely to plan. I wonder what the future
holds ? We also have cares about those we leave behind. We know they will cope and that
we have left everything in good order, but we are nevertheless going to be away for a long
time and will miss them as we know they will miss us.
We aim to leave at 10 am on Tuesday morning. The forecast is for fresh Westerly winds
which should push us easily to Bangor in Northern Ireland. I wonder who will come to give
us a send-off from the pontoon ?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - 14.30 - Bangor - 54:39.868 N 5:40.318 W - The

intrepid trio were surprised and touched at the size of the group of family and friends who
braved the torrential rain to see them off. At the appointed hour of 1000 or nearly (sorry
Stuart, Sylvia & ?). Skipper Mike swung Blue Tarn away from the pontoon and after setting
reefed main and genoa we were off.
South of Paterson's Rock, the wind had increased sufficiently to enable us to go on a

close fetch south and this gradually became a broad reach.
We were safely berthed at Bangor after a passage of little over 8 hours and enjoyinga
celebratory gin and tonic, being regaled by tales, not all, of which we had heard before, of
Mike's childhood here. He was of course born with webbed feet and able to paint a vivid
picture of the Ballyholme/Bangor waterfront pre- the very grand marina. We wandered
up the street to Coyle's Bar for a light snack and so to bed.
Thursday, October 2, 2008 - 14.30 - Howth - 53:23.400 N 6:03.998 W - A

cracking sail today from Bangor to Howth. Wind NW 6 - 8.
Friday, October 3, 2008 - 19.20 - Wicklow - 52:58.825 N 6:02.215 W - Pleasant

sail from Howth to Wicklow and another great Chinese meal in Ping's Restaurant. Wind
NW 4 but forecast of SW 9 imminent. We might have to have spend another day here.
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Saturday, October 4, 2008 - 17.23 - Wicklow - 52:58.825 N 6:02.215 W - And
now we are two - The following was written by John (Mactaggart) before he left (in the
3rd person !). Both Michael & Tony are very sad to see him go but determined to press on -
"John was invited to join Michael and Tony soon after he had dislocated and fractured his
shoulder and been prevented from sailing on Swift Wing from Gran Canaria to St Lucia in
2007. He accepted, but ever since has been apprehensive about coping with the 3 month
absence from home.
"He persuaded himself that once the journey began these irrational fears would evaporate
and the sleepless nights stop. However, after departure and despite 3 tremendous days
sailing down the Irish coast, he realized that this expedition was not for him. This was
despite being warmly encouraged by Michael and Tony and by Helen to continue.
"He left Blue Tarn on 4 October. He is very, very sorry to have left the remaining 2 men in
the boat with a surfeit of food and a gap in the watch keeping roster. (Signed) John
Mactaggart".
Sunday, October 5, 2008 - 18.10 - Wicklow - 51:55.320 N 7:32.440 W - Left

Wicklow at 3 am in pouring rain and stiff NE wind. Wind and tide carried us quickly towards
the Tuskar Rock (SE corner of Ireland) Wind began to moderate and the sun appeared.
We arrived at St Patrick's Causeway just off Kilmore Quay at about noon and decided to
press on towards Cork. Wind now very light and we are motorsailing. The sun has just set
and there is a clear sky. It could be cold later.
Monday, October 6, 2008 - 17.03 - Cork - 51:48.326 N 8:18.210 W - Arrived 1am.

Had well earned sleep. Spent day preparing boat for Biscay.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 - 07.47 - Cork - 51:48.326 N 8:18.210 W - Departed
Cork for Bay of Biscay and Vigo.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 - 08.41 - Bay of Biscay - 49:46.173 N 9:02.224 W -

24 hours into long passage across Biscay. Destination Vigo. Winds now light westerly. All
well.
Thursday, October 9, 2008 - 06.27 - Bay of Biscay - 48:00.519 N 8:57.858 W -

All well. Wind S - SW 3 - 4
Friday, October 10, 2008 - 04.27 - Bay of Biscay - 46:48.648 N 9:03.492 W -

Frustrating headwinds but all well.
Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 07.10 - Bay of Biscay - 44:35.805 N 9:49.376 W -
Winds E 5. Romping along. Can almost smell the Riocha wine ! Crew in good heart, having
settled to a good routine.
Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 13.31 - Bayona (Near Vigo) - 42:07.297 N 8:50.759
W - Have just moored. Yesterday was interesting. They say troubles come in three's.
1) We spilt our gins while they were being poured - calamity ! 2) We were just
congratulating ourselves on having passed through the shipping to the north of the traffic
separation lanes off Finistere in order that we might pass through the inshore zone, when
thick fog descended visibility less than 50m). Then ships started to turn to starboard
heading east - straight at us. To cut a long story short, our track for next 4 hours looked like
that of a drunken Spaniard as we dodged ships. Thank goodness for the radar and AIS. 3)
Problem with gas. Need to replace regulator. Must go. Michael has just opened the bubbly.
Thursday, October 16, 2008 - Still in Bayona - 42:07.297 N 8:50.759 W - We

could say that we have been recovering from crossing Biscay, or that we are waiting for
better winds, but neither would be true.
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We were not so tired when we arrived that a good nights sleep did not restore us and the
weather is very settled at the moment. In fact we are enjoying our stay here.
There are lots of small jobs to attend to on the boat. The town is very accommodating and
everything we need is at hand. Amongst the many jobs, we are constructing the upright for
the new wind-generator. This is sited on the aft port quarter so that it does not interfere
with the self steering gear. It has two solid struts to support it. Attaching it all to the boat
has been extremely tricky and we have had difficulty drilling some of the holes required.
Mike spent several happy hours drilling one hole with a drill bit held in a pair of pliers
because of access problems !
Bayona is an historic town. There is a small fortified section (Parador) and an old town
with many interesting buildings. It is perhaps most well known as the port that Christopher
Columbus returned to in 1493 after discovering The Americas. There is a replica of the
Pinta moored in the harbour. However, we plan to leave soon and hop across the border to
Portugal before too many barnacles grow on the bottom. We are hoping to sail to Povoa
de Varzim on Saturday.
Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 13.35 - At Sea - 41:34.510 N 8:51.657 W -

Departed Bayona at 0800 hrs and en route to Povoa de Varzim in Portugal. Northerly
breeze and bright sunshine. Should arrive before nightfall.
Monday, October 20, 2008 - 20.35 - Povoa de Varzim - 41:22.269 N 8:45.898 W

- This will be our third night here. We arrived on Saturday evening at about 1830 and were
made to feel most welcome by the friendly marina staff.
Yesterday (Sunday) was spent with more tinkering. The wind generator is now installed in
the tethered position. We didn't have quite enough cable to complete the wiring. Today
(Monday) we spent sightseeing.
We caught the excellent Metro train/tram to the centre of Porto. The city is situated on the
steep banks of the River Douro. Our train deposited us at the top of the hill and allowed us
to meander down through the narrow cobbled streets to the river itself. There we crossed
the bridge to the south side where the port wine caves are located. The bridge itself is a
magnificent structure designed by Thomas (?) Eiffel of tower fame. We then went on a
tour of the Sandeman Cave and sampled the product. Very tasty, but we decided not to
purchase any as there is limited room on Blue Tarn. We saw the rest of Porto from the top
of an open top bus on a tour which lasted over an hour and a half and finally got back to
the marina after dark. Tomorrow we plan to sail to Figuera da Foz.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 16.24 - Aviero - 40:39.529 N 8:43.838 W - We set

off at 0700hrs with light S - SW winds. Because the wind was on thenose we had already
decided that we might head for Aviero. A sudden wind shift and increase in strength
decided the matter. We ran in with just a wee hankie of a jib as the now NW wind gusted to
7 -8. We now lie snugly at anchor just off a Portugese military base.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 16.38 - Figueira da Foz - 40:08.844 N 8:51.579

W - Spent a happy night at anchor at Aveiro. The pilot book warned of poor holding, but
our conservative anchoring technique (45lb CQR and 5 times the depth of chain) ensured
that we didn't drag our anchor.
An interesting sight nearby was a small yacht "kebbabed" on the long bowsprit of a large
yacht. The sprit was between the forestay and the mast of the small yacht. The small yacht
had either dragged onto the large one or else they had come together when the wind
changed yesterday. There seemed to be nobody onboard and there was nothng we could do
as the winds were too strong.
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We set off at 0900 with northerly winds of force 6, gusting to 7 and had a fine sail in bright
sunshine. However no suntan was gained as we were in full oilskins to combat the cold
winds and the odd dollop of water.
Figuera da Foz is at the mouth of the Rio Mondego. Two moles extend out to sea with a
sand bar between them. We reached in near to low water with a minimum depth of 2.9m on
the echo sounder. However, we were soon inside and made our way to the snug little
marina which is where we now lie.
Thursday, October 23, 2008 - Figueira da Foz + Wildlife - 40:08.844 N 8:51.579

W - This morning Mike serviced the engine while Tony went shopping. We then got the
laundry done using our twin tub washing machine, 2 buckets ! After lunch we finally got
the wind generator wired up and working. It means that we will not have to use the engine
for charging nearly as much as before. The laundry was soon dry in the sunshine. Tomorrow
we continue southwards heading towards Nazare.
Wildlife - On our trip down we have seen countless dolphins. They come in small groups,
play for a while diving under the bow of the boat and then disappear again. We think that
we can hear them squeeking to each other through the hull.
There are fewer seabirds than we are used to at home. There are a few gannets and some
smaller gulls which might be related to terns. The marinas are teeming with fish. Each
yacht has 20 or so large fish swimming under it. Judging by the number of men out with
their fishing rods there must be plenty of fish about.
We were warned about mosquitos, so we came prepared with a net purchased from Ikea. So
far we have only had to drape the netting over the hatch on still nights.
Friday, October 24, 2008 - 18.21 - Nazare - 39:35.009 N 9:04.515 W - No detail

in log.
Sunday, October 26, 2008 - 19.16 - Cascais - 38:41.596 N 9:24.965 W - Alarm

went off at 0450 hrs and we were underway at 0530 hrs. There were only light airs up to
lunchtime but then a nice N 4 set in and we even managed some sailing.
Arrived at Cascais as night fell and wind decided to freshen. Very helpful marina staff. The
marina has 600 berths and even has a special pontoon for mega yachts (>40m). It will take
Mike sometime to examine them all.
It is beginning to get noticeably warmer as we head south. However, we still have to wear
plenty of fleeces in the wind.
The Rutland wind generator is whirring away and making a real difference.
Monday, October 27, 2008 - 17.04 - Cascais - 38:41.596 N 9:24.965 W -

Somehow, the blog I posted on Saturday went astray. So here it is -
Spent the morning doing jobs. Tony did the housework while Mike did some sewing ! He was
sewing loops into some webbing which isgoing to be used to better secure the batteries. He
was equipped with sailors palm and stout needle but found the going easier after he
predrilled the holes for the needle with a hand drill. This afternoon Mike explored the town
and did some shopping while Tony stayed on the boat.
This evening a couple from a neighbouring boat called Blush (an Oyster Lightwave) are
coming aboard for a wee dram. While they are here we shall propose a toast to
Campbeltown Sailing Club who are celebrating their 50th anniversary tonight. We
lose an hours sleep tonight and we are going to make an early start in the morning (0500)
when we head for Cascais (pronounced Cashkai). Today, Monday we just pottered and
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explored the town. This is the first town that we have seen with lots of English style
restaurants.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 18.47 - Cascais - 38:41.596 N 9:24.965 W - It has

been blowing a full NE gale all day. We are safe and snug in the marina. Several large ships
are anchored inthe bay, presumably sheltering from the weather. Tony almost got blown off
his feet in the wind ! ! ! ! We plan to visit Lisbon tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - 18.43 - Lisbon - 38:43.000 N 9:08.010 W - We

travelled by train to Lisbon. There we enjoyed a tourist tramcar ride and a good wander
around the city. Mike had a go on a Segway bicycle in one of the large squares. We plan to
head off for Madeira tomorrow morning.
Saturday, November 1, 2008 - 08.23 - At Sea - 37:28.920 N 11:04.398 W - 24

hours out from Cascais. All well.
Sunday, November 2, 2008 09:05:31 - At Sea - 36:06.346 N 13:16.699 W - All

well
Monday, November 3, 2008 06:59:11 - At Sea - 34:50.179 N 14:59.435

W - Getting there. Squally wind & showers. All well
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 08:17:56 - At Sea - 32:59.255 N 16:11.996 W

- Land Ahoy ! Island of Porto Santo on the starboard beam. Should be safely tied up in
Madeira in a few hours. Wind N3. Mike snoring !
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 19:25:47 - At Sea - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W -

Quinta do Lorde - Finally tied up at 1400 hours on Tuesday. Just over 4 days must be
rated a fast passage.
Thursday, November 9, 2008 17:39:23 - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W -

Quinta do Lorde
Sleep - Mike and I share the main cabin. He sleeps in the starboard berth and I occupy the
port one. It has always been a standing joke between us that Mike's bunk always seems to
be the leeward one wherever we go. (That means that when the boat is leaning - it is the
one you can't fall out of ! ) However, on this trip, with the almost guaranteed NE Trade
Winds, the port berth will be the leeward one. At last !
In fact we have good lee cloths which are pieces of canvas attached to the side of each
bunk to hold you in when the rolling tries to throw you out.
Sleeping while the boat is sailing is not always easy. Firstly, one tends to sleep patchily as
there is a good deal of noise from the waves and various creaks from the boat itself as it
moves along.
Secondly, one seems to be half aware of your partner and what is going on on deck. Our
biggest fear is falling overboard and we go to great lengths to secure ourselves to the boat
and prevent that from happening. While dozing, one is constantly thinking about the other
one; is he still there? I seem to hear every small movement on the boat and I am sure that
Mike sleeps with one eye open !
Thirdly, the movement can be so violent that you neither want to go below to sleep
because going into the cabin makes you feel ill, nor can you rest because of the movement.
(When we sailed from Cascai, during some F8 squalls, I found that I could not keep my head
in contact with the pillow because the boat was bucking so much.)
Now we are 2, it seems that one of us is asleep most of the time. The night is divided into 4
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three hour watches with a 30 minute change over period between each watch. The 30
minute gap is a good time for a sail change or a shared drink, and the person coming off
watch doesn't feel as though his sleeping time is being eaten into. So, with 6 hours sleep
each night, we have an informal watch system during the day and we both take naps to
keep the sleep level up when we can. The system works well as long as there isn't too much
excitement. In harbour we can both sleep for Britain. We think we have had a late night if
the lights go out at 10 pm.
Friday, November 11, 2008 17:10:07 - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W - Quinta do

Lorde
More Jobs - We have spent the day finishing the list of jobs. We are now so far on that
Mike decided that it was time to shampoo the carpets ! At the moment there is an E breeze.
On the next leg we want to test our twizzle rig. As that needs the wind from aft of the
beam, we plan to depart on Wednesday when there is forecast to be more N in the wind.
Sorry there are no photos from Madeira, the 'Wi-Fi' in the marina has broken down.
Friday, November 11, 2008 16:45:15 - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W - Quinta do
Lorde - Last Leg
Today we have spent making the boat ready for sea. We plan to depart tomorrow morning
for the last leg of the journey before we start on the ARC. We sail for Las Palmas on Gran
Canaria and should arrive sometime on Friday, our route taking us close to The
Salvagem Islands.
Sunday, November 13, 2008 13:01:06 - At Sea - 30:40.993 N 16:30.978 W -

Slow progress, but all well.

W - Full oilskins. Plenty of spray flying about. 45 miles to go.
Saturday, November 15, 2008 13:32:34 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Las Palmas
Arrived Las Palmas at 1830 Friday. We had an interesting journey ! We planned to try out
our twizzle rig but it soon became clear that the wind did not have enough north in it and
we were not going to lay Las Palmas. Getting it unrigged at sea was not easy.
Our next drama was the near collapse of our wind generator pole. One of the bolts worked
loose and the side supports fell away from the pole. We managed a jury rig with two
boathooks and a whisker pole. The generator survived and we can fix it now we are in
harbour.
Our final drama occured as we approached Las Palmas. The furling gear jammed after
only rolling in about one third of the sail. We resolved the situation by removing thesheets
and motoring round in circles until the sail wound itself round the forestay. Now we are back
in harbour we are confident that we can fix the problem. We had expended far too much
nervous energy and were pleased to collapse into our bunks.
This morning, Mike signed us in with the ARC office. There are only about 30 boats still to
arrive out of 225. Everybody is very friendly and there is a great atmosphere.
Sunday, November 16, 2008 17:34:53 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497

W - Las Palmas
Last night we attended a reception at the Yacht Club hosted by Berthon. Very fancy yacht
club. Guard on the gate, huge swimming pool and a flourescent sign that is visible 5 miles
away.
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Today was the opening ceremony for the ARC with a parade of flags, speeches, and then
"Pedro's Dinghy Race" - rubber dinghies, water fights, flour bombs etc. We watched from a
safe distance. Very childish ! Tomorrow morning is our safety inspection. We have got all the
required kit out and await our inspection with baited breath.

W - Las Palmas
Safety Inspection Day - We were a little worried about our safety inspection as almost
all the boats that we have talked to have needed to be inspected more than once before
they passed. We laid out all the required things in the cockpit and were all ready by 0900
hours AND WE PASSED !
The inspector had one or two useful suggestions, but was happy with all our equipment.
Mike then went to a seminar on rigging and Tony went to a seminar on Atlantic weather.
Both were useful.
We then sorted out the roller furling which had caused problems on the way in. The twizzle
sails now roll easily round the forestay, so we hope that that problem has been overcome.
We will test it again later in the week just to make sure.
Tonight we are going to a dinner for the crews of smaller boats and tomorrow we have
booked on a tour of Gran Canaria.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 18:14:03 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Gran Canaria - Last night we went to a dinner for crews from the smaller boats. Today we
went on an excellent tour of Gran Canaria. It is an interesting volcanic island with an
extremely low rainfall.- lots of cacti and rugged mountains. Had an excellent view of Mount
Teide on Tenerife.
Thursday, November 20, 2008 18:35:07 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Gran Canaria - Preparations We are getting there. Departure is at midday on Sunday
and we are nearly ready to go. We have sorted the problem with the roller furling; the wind
generator is whirring away happily and all the non perishable stores are on board. All that
remains is the final briefing, load perishable stores and then we are ready for the off.
Friday, November 21, 2008 17:51:31 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Gran Canaria
Getting There - Final checks on the rigging today then spent the afternoon having a
general tidy up. As always, when you tidy, things sometimes get more untidy before you
get sorted. It was just at that point that the photographer from "Practical Boat Owner"
called. He seemed to take a great interest in everything. Who knows, we could be an article
in the December edition... "How to keep your boat tidy ?" We then, did our final laundry
before we set off and tonight we are going to the Farewell Party.
Saturday, November 22, 2008 18:12:00 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Gran Canaria
Ready for the off ! - We have all our stores packed away. Everything has been checked
and double checked and we are as ready as we will ever be. Tonight there is a firework
display so an early night isn't practical.
Tomorrow we start at precisely 1pm along with 217 other yachts. The forecast is for Force 3
- 4 NE winds and the weather experts have advised the whole fleet to head south to avoid a
depression in mid-Atlantic. So we will have company on our traditional route...heading
south until the butter melts ! The overall route is about 2,850 miles. We hope to arrive
before all the parties have ended.
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Monday, November 24, 2008 11:57:28 - At Sea - 26:46.100 N 16:37.460 W
Enjoyed start and managed to avoid other 217 yachts. Had a fine breeze down the E side of
Gran Canaria and shot out of the acceleration zone between the islands. During the night
the wind went much lighter and we could now do with a bit more. During the night, I
counted 20 yachts, now we can only see five. Otherwise, everything fine and no problems.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:53:53 - At Sea - 25:49.329 N 17:43.245 W
Beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. Sea temp = 25deg, Temp in cockpit = 36deg.
Just over 100 miles from The Sahara Desert. The only drawback is tat there is very little
wind at the moment. I suppose we will never see The Atlantic any calmer than this, (though
the boat still has a restless motion, because of the swell.)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 12:08:00 - At Sea - 24:46.360 N 18:58.755 W
Last 24 hours have seen light winds and we had to resort to motoring for a while. The
breeze is now about F3 and we are managing about 4 knots. Crew morale excellent.
Thursday, November 27, 2008 12:08:29 - At Sea - 23:31.971 N 20:35.784 W
A bit more breeze today. We are firmly established into our routine which seems to consist
of eating and sleeping.
0900 Breakfast Cereal, Fruit juice, Tea/coffee, & vitamin pill

1100 Morning coffee + chocolate biscuit
1300 Lunch Fresh baked Bread and cheese, apple + delicious home made chutney
1530 Afternoon Tea + a piece of Irish Tea Loaf, a great piece of home baking that
travels really well
1730 Sundowner Just one measure of gin + tonic
1800 Dinner Last night we had Chicken Curry + Rice + Chick Peas, plus a jelly
with fruit
Its a good job that the boat sails itself !
Friday, November 28, 2008 12:01:54 - At Sea - 22:04.807 N 22:18.436 W - ENE

4 - 5 Bowling along making great progress. 131 miles covered in last 24 hours. This morning
we were able to celebrate our first milestone - 500 miles - with a chocolate treat from the
fridge.
Saturday, November 29, 2008 11:56:40 - At Sea - 20:44.202 N 24:00.589 W

- Still making good progress towards our first way-point, 74 miles to go. First 'Flying Fish'
landed on deck overnight.
Just one other yacht in sight. We are running the engine for an hour just now in order to
recharge the batteries. First time in 48 hours, which shows that the Rutland wind generator
is doing its stuff. (In these temperatures the fridge consumes the most electricity)
Everything else well.
Sunday, November 30, 2008 12:11:34 - At Sea - 19:28.888 N 25:43.106 W
One week gone, 2,050 miles to go. We are heading for Latitude 18 N as trade winds
uncertain north of that. Dipped the water tank today and found that we had used very little
so far. Water conservation measures must be working ! It is surprising how well 'Fairy
Liquid' cleans in salt water. Fresh water is reserved for a final rinse. We can do the washing
up with about a pint of fresh water. we use the same method when we wash, excluding the
'Fairy Liquid' ! We are both well and in good spirits.
10
Monday, December 1, 2008 12:04:44 - At Sea - 18:20.415 N 27:21.637 W
Still heading south to avoid low pressure systems to the west. Wind ENE 3 - 4. Last 2 days
have been grey and overcast. Where is all the sunshine we were promised ? Both of us
showered this morning. This is a major undertaking as the boat rolls from side to side. You
have to hang on with one hand at all times and avoid slipping. Happy to report no mishaps.
Three 'Flying Fish' on deck this morning. 1,951 miles to go.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 11:58:19 - At Sea - 17:58.273 N 29:08.807 W
Slow going for us. Twistle rig not big enough in lighter winds so have put up main as well.
Saw two small whales yesterday (Pilot Whales ?) Still seeing the occasional light at night.
Mike has decided to start rubbing down the
fore-cabin, he is a restless soul ! Everything else fine.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:32:40 - At Sea - 17:43.592 N 31:09.00 W
The last 24 hours have been very hot and steamy. We recorded 46 degrees C (114 degrees
F) in the cockpit. We rigged the awning to give us shade, but it reduces airflow into the
cabin so it is extremely hot down below. Normally, the sea cools the boat down, but the
water temperature is 31 degrees C. The high temperature and humidity in these parts are
the reason many tropical storms start around here. We are chugging along. Wind is Force 3.
We would like to have more.
Since our last way-point it has felt as though we are going back in time. We started in the
'20th Century' (2,000 miles to go) and now we are in the '18th Century' (1,731 miles to go)
We think that 1,450 miles will represent the halfway point.
We are trying to follow the great circle route. This is a curved line on a chart, but represents
the shortest distance on a curved globe. Everything else well. Have just finished baking a
crusty white loaf which we will eat for lunch.
Thursday, December 4, 2008 12:03:34 - At Sea - 17:14.941 N 33:30.122 W
Best 24 hour run so far with 139 miles covered, 1,598 miles to go. Forgot to mention in my
last report that we sailed over a mountain yesterday. Mount Krylor is an underwater sea
mountain that rises 2,800 metres off the seabed. It was probably an underwater volcano.
When we passed over the summit, there was still 1,300 metres between its summit and our
keel. The ocean is extremely deep here ! It is still extremely hot and steamy, though
thankfully it is still overcast.
Friday, December 5, 2008 11:58:20 - At Sea - 16:35.365 N 35:36.505 W
With 1,474 miles to go we are at the half way point. There will be a wee celebration at
sundown ! A good fresh breeze has blown throughout the night. N 4 - 5 veering NE this
morning. We are bowling along and have covered 270 miles in the last 24 hours. Our clocks
go back again today so that we are now 2 hours behind the U.K. Everything well.
Saturday, December 6, 2008 12:00:04 - At Sea - 16:18.317 N 37:27.065 W
1,368 miles to go, 110 miles in last 24 hours. Wind still lightish but dead astern. Had a
grand little celebration last night to mark the half way point. One boat in view last night but
cannot see it this morning.
Sunday, December 7, 2008 11:56:25 - At Sea - 16:03.073 N 39:22.991 W
Correction : The blog 2 days ago was incorrect. It should have stated 270 miles in 48
hours. Congratulations to John Mactaggart for spotting the inaccuracy (with a solicitor's eye
11
for the small print !) We have covered 115 miles in the last 24 hours and have 1,255 miles
to go. We are in an area of rain squalls. Very heavy rain, but quite refreshing. I didn't mind
getting wet at all when soaked during the night. Two small whales swam past yesterday
afternoon
117 miles in last 24 hours, 1,143 miles to go. Late yesterday afternoon we sailed through a
torrential downpour. I put the washing up bowl in the cockpit and collected 2 inches in 20
minutes. We don't get rain that heavy in Grogport ! Last night there was amazing electrical
activity in the clouds with lightning all around. This morning a clear blue sky with light wind
in the wrong direction. SW Force 1. We are motoring. Everything else well.
A perfect still night. Hardly a breath of wind, a good moon and all the stars. It was a real
pleasure to be on watch in the wee small hours. The only downside being that we had to
motor all night in order to move. 108 miles covered in 24 hrs. 1035 to go. I think we will
have another wee celebration when that number gets under 1000 later today.
Yesterday our self steering gear was attacked by a shark ! Our Hydrovane self steering gear
consists of a wind vane connected to its own rudder. This steers us quite happily except
when the wind is very light or we are motoring. Then we attach an electronic tiller-pilot to
the hydrovanes own short tiller.
The tiller pilot has a ram controlled by an electronic compass which then controls the tiller.
We have only ever had one problem with this arrangement when we engaged the tiller pilot
but forgot to remove the locking pin on the rudder. In that instance, the forces generated by
the ram were sufficient to snap the tiller ! We were just about to have morning coffee, when
the tiller snapped again.
Our immediate thought was that the locking pin must have slipped into place causing the
problem. However, upon checking, we found the pin was OK. We then looked over the stern
to check the rudder and you can imagine our increased heart rate when we saw a 9 foot
hammerhead shark in the attack position (upside down) trying to bite the rudder blade. It
had obviously prevented the rudder from moving which had caused the tiller to snap. We
then pushed down the throttle to give us more speed and Mike started zig-zagging on the
wheel. It took 10 minutes before it left us in peace.
We have repaired the tiller with epoxy and hope that it will hold firm until St Lucia.
Fortunately while all this happened, the breeze finally set in which allowed us to sail
properly and for which we do not need the tiller.
Throughout the last 24 hours the wind has increased to NE 20 knots and we are now
romping along. 130 miles covered in the last 24 hours, 904 miles to go.
Thursday, December 11, 2008 11:55:30 - At Sea - 15:38.054 N 47:58.972 W
Wind NE 20 knots but gusting to 35 in squalls. Best run yet, 151 miles in 24 hours, 758
miles to go. All well.
Friday, December 12, 2008 12:42:14 - At Sea - 15:29.000 N 50:21.000 W
139 miles in last 24 hours, 617 miles to go. Sailed through more heavy squalls yesterday
afternoon but eventually seemed to leave them behind and had a pleasant night sailing in
12
NE Force 4. Last night I dreamed I was at the pantomime in Carradale and all the jokes that
would be made at our expense. Break a leg everybody !
Saturday, December 13, 2008 11:54:15 - At Sea - 15:27.651 N 52:20.929 W
118 miles in 24 hours, 506 miles to go. We really feel with the 500 milestone approaching
that we are nearing St Lucia. Wind E, Force 3, just.
Sunday, December 14, 2008 12:05:23 - At Sea - 15:14.379 N 54:00.149 W
Lighter winds of late so only managed 99 miles in last 24 hours, 409 miles to go. You can
almost smell the rum punches, so near and yet so far ! We see two or three shooting stars
each night. These are meteorites which burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere and
last for only a second or two. I think we must be seeing so many because of the latitude.
Light winds until tea time yesterday. We then decided to motor, but within half an hour the
wind freshened to NE 4 - 5 and we have been romping along since. 134 miles covered in
last 24 hours, 275 to go. As its my (Tony's) birthday, we are having a party at 4 pm today.
Hats, games, jellies and no girls ! Well you can't have everything !
127 miles in last 24 hours, 149 miles to go. We are on the lookout for a bird with a twig in
its mouth ! Well any bird will do. Haven't seen one for days. We are both scanning the
horizon for land. There's a large bar of chocolate going to the one who spots it first ! Wind
NE 3 - 4.
Land-ho ! The mountains of St. Lucia were spotted at 1015 hours UTC, at least we hope its
St Lucia ? We duly raised a toast of Springbank to the crossing. Wind NNE 3. Distance run in
last 24 hours is 120 miles, 32.3 miles to go. We estimate that we will arrive early afternoon
local time, early evening UTC.
12.21 hours 'Local Time', 12 miles to go !
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 20:23:49 - At Sea - 14:04.509 N 60:57.010 W -

St Lucia
Arrived safe and sound at 15.30 hours 'Local Time'. Were greeted by applause from other
yachts, a steel band and were given a basket of fruit and a rum punch each - more
tomorrow.
Friday, December 19, 2008 21:45:02 - 14:04.509 N 60:57.010 W - Safely in St

Lucia
Now that we have had some sleep and regained our land-legs we look back on a successful
crossing. As a schoolboy, cross country runs were not my favourite. I always started with
enthusiasm but, as the miles progressed, everybody else seemed to overtake.
The arc was similar, definitely a marathon. However, instead of feeling beaten by the
bigger, faster boats, we feel pleased with ourselves at having got here safely. We are
looking forward to returning home for Christmas. When we are home we will be able to post
more photos onto the blog when we have a faster internet connection.
13
2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009 19:28:50 - 14:04.509 N 60:57.010 W - Back in St

Lucia
Tony and I are back on board Blue Tarn, after a tremendous month at home. Flying back
out here on a BA Boeing 777 we realised that every 15 minutes we were covering the same
distance we averaged in 24 hours to sail here !
When we got out of the taxi at the marina at Rodney Bay after a scenic 1½ hour journey
the length of the island, we were met by a very smart chap smoking a large cigar who
introduced himself as follows, "Hi, Welcome to St Lucia, my name is Bugs Bunny and I'm
the mayor of this place".
We knew we were back. He almost certainly wasn't Bugs Bunny but he could well have
been the mayor, we mumbled something like "pleased to meet you" when in hindsight we
should have exchanged high 5's and said "How' ya doing Bugs, good to see you".
The boat is just as we left her, we have been steadily getting all the bits of string etc back
in position, shopping and generally getting ready to explore every bit of land that sticks up
out of the water within 500 miles of here. We set off in 2 days time south along the coast of
St. Lucia, then to St. Vincent, The Grenadines and Grenada. We will keep you posted.
Michael
Sunday, February 1, 2009 18:20:48 - At Sea - 13:58.046 N 61:01.719 W
Marigot Bay - Sailed in here yesterday. Great to be at sea again. Anchored in 3m on what
seems to be coral, or it could be rock. Marigot is one of the few hurricane holes in this part
of The Caribbean. If a hurricane is due, you sail in and tie your bows to the mangrove trees
and lay a stern anchor. It is also very picturesque with palm trees, hotels and a marina, Dr
Doolittle was filmed here. We have now had a couple of swims and very refreshing they
were too. A good chance to scrape some barnacles off ! In fact, Blue Tarn developed quite
a lot of growth over Christmas and will probably have to be re-anti-fouled soon.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 18:45:03 - At Sea - 13:43.372 N 60:57.472 W
Vieux Fort - We sailed down the coast from Marigot Bay past some stunning scenery
including The Pitons at Soufriere. The wind freshened during the day from the SE giving
us Force 5 - 6. We are currently anchored off the fishing harbour. This morning we cleared
customs at the dock, but had to travel to the airport to clear immigration. Tomorrow we
plan to sail to Bequia.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 23:42:41 - At Sea - 13:00.700 N 61:14.457 W
Bequia - Today we sailed from Vieux Fort to Bequia where we are anchored in
Admiralty Bay. The 50 mile trip took us out into The Atlantic to the east of St Vincent. It
came as shock to find ourselves in the swell again.
Saturday, February 7, 2009 00:20:33 - At Sea - 12:43.670 N 61:20.002 W
Canouan - Sailed from Bequia this morning and had a nice gentle sail south to Canouan.
We are anchored in a small bay all by ourselves. On the shore there is a landing stage just
like the one in Torrisdale (but in a slightly better state of repair). They obviously use it to
land building materials. We watched one of the locals "salvaging" some steel reinforcing
rods.
14
The north end of the island is a gated community for the super rich. The local said it was all
Mafia money ! The snorkelling is great. You will have seen the great shoals of fish swimming
on nature programmes. Well, I was right in the shoal with millions of fish all around me. It is
a great feeling.
Tobago Cays - The Tobago Cays are considered the crown jewels of The Grenadines.
They consist of 5 small, deserted islands surrounded by coral reefs and splendidly clear
turquoise waters. We completed the short sail from Canouan in about 90 minutes and we
were soon anchored alongside a palm fringed islet. Spent the rest of the day swimming.
Absolutely great and what we came for !
Monday, February 9, 2009 00:21:02 - At Sea - 12:35.685 N 61:24.697 W
Union Island - After another fine swim this morning on the reef at Tobago Cays, we have
sailed down to Union Island. Here we were able to swim to a man-made island on the reef
called Happy Island, on which the owner, Janti runs a bar. It was quite a long swim and we
were ready for a beer when we got there !
Tyrrel's Bay, Carriacou - Passed through Customs and Immigration on Union Island
before departing The Grenadines. We then sailed 7 miles to Hillsborough on Carriacou
where we checked into Grenada. We are now at the Tyrrel Bay Haul Out waiting to be
hauled out, scrubbed and re-anti-fouled. there is only one snag - the travel hoist is broken !
We were chatting to a French couple whose boat was lifted out this morning. They have
been sailing The Caribbean for 30 years and have survived 5 hurricanes.
Sunday, February 15, 2009 23:23:55 - At Sea - 12:04.894 N 61:45.695 W
Grenada - Last Monday, Blue Tarn was lifted out of the water at Tyrrell Bay by The Haul
Out Company. She had all the barnacles removed, a good sand down and two coats of
tropical anti-fouling applied before being launched again yesterday (Saturday). The yard
were great and Edwin (or was it Irwin ..... it seemed to change on a daily basis) worked
really hard to produce a good outcome. However, the yard was very hot and dusty with
horrible toilet facilities, so we were pleased to get back in the water again. We spent the
rest of the day tidying up and then went ashore for a typical West Indian meal at The
Bayside Restaurant.
This morning we left Carriacou and set sail for Grenada. Unusually, the day has been grey
and overcast with occasional rain. The temperature plummeted to 85 degrees F ! En route
we passed three large whales with one calf. They were just lolling about on the surface. We
think they were about 20 metres long. We arrived and dropped anchor just south of
Moliniere Point. The snorkelling here is supposed to be good, but it was dark and grey when
I went in and so there was very little colour to be seen, perhaps it will be better in the
morning.
St Georges, Grenada - We moved on here from our overnight anchorage. Weighing

anchor was a bit of a problem. The chain was snagged on some coral and it took several
goes before we got it free. We are now anchored in the centre of St Georges. The town
surrounds a perfect natural harbour and there is plenty of boating life to observe.
Unfortunately, it was wet for most of the day, most unusual. Wearing heavy oilskins when
the temperature is about 90 degrees F is no fun !
Thursday, February 19, 2009 23:22:14 - At Sea - 12:00.070 N 61:43.614 W

15
Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada - This morning we motored out of St Georges Harbour
just as the P & O Sea Princess was discharging passengers onto the new cruise ship dock.
We had a pleasant sail around the SW tip of Grenada. En route we stopped in Prickly Bay
to have a look at the yachts, and then continued on to Clarkes Court Bay.
We are anchored just north of Calvigny Island next to a brand new hotel that has been
built on it. The hotel looks 95% completed and almost ready for its guests who will probably
have to pay a great deal to enjoy a very exclusive island complete with palm trees. This
afternoon, after a swim, we motored over to Phaere Blue Marina to have a look. Some
very swish yachts there.
St Georges, Grenada - We have returned to St Georges to pick up supplies before

heading north. There are plenty of super-yachts in at the moment. The one nearest to us is
called the Selperton and is up for sale for the not inconsiderate sum of 18 million euros.
We considered a swap, but the cash adjustment would be a trifle large. Still, the jacuzzi on
the foredeck did look tempting. Tomorrow we plan to head north to Carriacou.
Thursday, February 26, 2009 17:13:14 - At Sea - 12:35.664 N 61:24.711 W
Union Island - We have just spent a very pleasant couple of days anchored at Clifton at
Union Island. The town is very colourful and the sea a beautiful aquamarine. When it gets
a bit cooler, later this afternoon, we plan to sail the short hop to the island of Mayreau.
Friday, February 27, 2009 23:08:19 - At Sea - 12:38.826 N 61:23.434 W
Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau - We have just spent the last 24 hours anchored off a palm
fringed beach. It is picture postcard perfect, but very hot. It's a good job that we can go
swimming to cool off. The water is a cool 32 degrees C, so you can imagine how hot it is in
the sun.
Tobago Cays, Grenadines National Park - We have returned here as it is quite magical.
There are a group of small islands, surrounded by coral reefs. The water is "gin clear" and a
wonderful shade of aquamarine. We had two quite long swims today. We would like to
spend even longer in the water, but we are wary of being roasted by the sun.
Monday, March 2, 2009 23:34:39 - At Sea - 12:41.774 N 61:19.861 W
This morning we sailed the short distance from Tobago Cays to our present anchorage in
Friendship Bay on the south side of Canouan. It is a bit rolly, but protected by a reef. This
afternoon we went ashore to explore. There is a fishing station here, built in 1997 by the
Japanese, where fishermen from neighbouring islands can stay while they are fishing in the
area. The beach is littered with conch shells. They dive for them and eat the meat, called
Lambi. Tomorrow we aim to sail to another Friendship Bay on Bequia.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 23:23:34 - At Sea - 12:59.350 N 61:14.039 W
Friendship Bay, Bequia - We arrived here at about 1030 am after leaving at first light.
We are trying to avoid sailing in the middle of the day when it gets too hot. We went ashore
this afternoon to have an explore along the beach. We landed in some surf which was
interesting. Its not something we would contemplate but the water is so warm. Along the
beach we found a whaling boat, complete with harpoons ready for action.
Thursday, March 12, 2009 00:00:27 - At Sea - 14:27.988 N 60:52.376 W

16
Le Marin, Martinique - We crossed over from St. Lucia yesterday. Just as we were
approaching land the French Customs zoomed up in a fast rib and ordered us to follow them
into a bay . When we got there, they told us to anchor because they wanted to search the
boat. It was all a little concerning with these armed douanes crawling all over the boat. Of
course, they hardly spoke much English and we very little French. By the time they went on
their way, it was getting dark and we decided that the tricky entry into Le Marin was best
left to the morning. Today we motored in and anchored in the bay.
Martinique is part of Europe and is prosperous compared to the other islands we have
seen. However, the French here are revolting. Or at least they are blockading the port until
Monsieur Sarkozy gives them some more money. As a result, all the shelves in the shops
are bare and there is very little to be bought. Its a good job that we stocked up before we
came. We did manage to buy a baguette for lunch but had to make do with mousetrap
cheese instead of some nice Camembert. Oh well, C'est la vie !
Friday, March 13, 2009 23:37:10 - At Sea - 14:36.007 N 61:04.165 W
Fort de France, Martinique - We have moved on around the coast and we are now
anchored off the capital of Martinique. It is all very French. We could be anchored off the
South of France, except it is very much warmer.
Sunday, March 15, 2009 11:32:15 - At Sea - 14:44.533 N 61:10.648 W
St Pierre, Martinique - We are now anchored off this small town on the northern end of
Martinique. St Pierre used to be known as 'The Paris of The Caribbean'. It had a
population 0f 30000 and even an 800 seat theatre. However, in 1902, Mount Pelee, the
nearby volcano erupted with a massive explosion (with the force of several atomic bombs).
The town was totally destroyed and there were only two survivors. One was a drunk in the
local gaol, his cell now forms part of the local museum.
Roseau, Dominica - We rose at 5.30 am and were off at first light in order to make the
crossing from Martinique to Dominica. The islands are 26 miles apart and it was a fine
reach with 20 - 25 knots of wind. As soon as one gets out from the lee of an island it is
always a bit of a shock to find oneself back in The Atlantic. There is a big contrast between
French Martinique and Dominica. We are back in 'The Third World'.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 00:13:13 - At Sea - 15:34.858 N 61:27.715 W
Portsmouth, Dominica - We motor-sailed up from Roseau this morning and anchored in

this natural bay at the north end of the island. We were met by a boat boy called Cobra and
arranged for him to pick us up in the afternoon so that we could go on a trip up the Indian
River.
Cobra duly arrived at 3 pm and we motored to the mouth of the river which was partially
blocked by the wreckage of a coaster that had come ashore during Hurricane Omah. There
we transferred to a rowing boat propelled by Roy, who was to be our guide. He was very
knowledgeable and kept pointing out wildlife that we would otherwise have missed. The
whole trip took about 2 hours and was well worthwhile. I never knew that hummingbirds
were so small !
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 21:51:49 - At Sea - 15:52.314 N 61:35.040 W
The Saints, Guadeloupe - We had a very pleasant reach in Force 3 - 4 winds across the
18 miles to The Saints. They are a small group of islands off the south coast of
Guadeloupe. As there were never any plantations here, there are only a few coloured skins
17
and it all feels like Britanny in the sun. We had a run ashore this afternoon and we plan to
have our first meal ashore since we were in Cariacou.
Friday, March 20, 2009 00:54:05 - At Sea - 16:13.525 N 61:32.031 W
Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe - Mike went to clear with the Customs on The Saints this
morning, but found that they were on strike ! This afternoon we sailed to the capital of
Guadeloupe, Pointe-a Pitre. We arrived at sunset just as a cruise liner was leaving the
narrow entrance. We felt rather small alongside. Tomorrow we hope to find some customs
who are open and find some information on the river that bisects the island. It might be a
good short cut.
The girls have arrived - Margaret and Moira have arrived safely. It was great to be met
by the boys at the airport. We enjoyed two nights in Jolly Harbour marina being wined and
dined. On Saturday we set sail and enjoyed a lunch and swim stop in Carlisle Bay before
heading on to Falmouth Bay and English Harbour, anchoring in picturesque
surroundings.
On Sunday morning we explored Nelson's Dockyard which had a very interesting

museum. In the evening we went to Shirley Heights to a spectacular sunset, amazing !
This was followed by a "Jump Up" complete with Steel Band and BBQ.
Today we moved on to Green Island at Nonsuch Bay for mor swimming and relaxing. The
pace of life is hectic, but we are coping ! Saw our first turtles today. Tomorrow we head for
Barbuda. Margaret and Moira
Friday, April 3, 2009 02:19:00 - At Sea - 17:08.853 N 62:37.820 W
Barbuda and Nevis - Left Antigua from Green Island's Nonsuch Bay and headed
north to Barbuda. The boys arranged the weather conditions to give us a taste of their
Atlantic crossing, quite fresh ! After a passage of 6 hours we sighted Barbuda, WOW ! Truly
a tropical paradise, aquamarine water, white sands stretching for miles and nobody on the
beach. Just some footprints.
Next morning, Saturday, we went ashore to visit Codrington. We had arranged to meet
George our guide and boatman. We crossed the sandbar and met George. He took us at
high speed across the lagoon (48 horse-power). The lagoon was 2 miles by 7. After dealing
with Customs and Immigration, George took us to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. These
birds have a 6 foot wingspan and travel miles to fish, but never land on the water. We
returned to the boat and that evening witnessed a superb sunset.
Today we made an early start heading for Nevis, a passage of 10 hours - our longest to
date in beautiful conditions. Arrived in time for our Rum Punch sundowners. Margaret and
Moira
Sunday, April 5, 2009 23:19:49 - At Sea - 17:15.008 N 62:39.486 W
St Kitts & Nevis - We left a Nevis and made a short crossing to St Kitts and into the
marina at the capital Basse Terre. We spent the afternoon exploring the town which was
very British, it even had red phone boxes. We replenished stores and ate out that evening
at the Ballyhoo Restaurant - which was located on an open-air balcony overlooking
Piccadilly Circus - where we had a nice meal complete with an interesting cocktail called
"Dark and Stormy", delicious.
Next morning, Monday, we enjoyed watching the coming and goings of the cruise liners and
their passengers. In the afternoon we hired Randolph, a very friendly taxi guide and we
18
toured the island. We particularly enjoyed seeing the tropical gardens at Romney Manor
and had a fascinating stop Fort George on Brimstone Hill (where we almost lost Michael
in the dungeons. Today, Wednesday, we moved on to a quiet anchorage and we plan to
leave for St Barts bright and early tomorrow. Margaret and Moira.
Thursday, April 9, 2009 01:59:14 - At Sea - 17:55.408 N 62:52.154 W
St Barts - After a 10 hour passage from St Kitts, our longest yet, we arrived in St Barts
in late afternoon and found a little piece of France in The Caribbean. We swirled around the
harbour, eyes agog at the super-yachts, some the size of CalMac Ferries.
We anchored in the bay just off the harbour but heavy swells made it very bumpy and
difficult to sleep, but the thought of a trip into the town and all the designer shops soon
revived us - Dior, Chanel, Ralph Lauren to name but three of the 200 boutiques and,
needless to say, we only went window shopping. We had a lovely, long, lazy lunch in a
restaurant overlooking the marina and allowing us plenty of opportunity to people watch.
Tres chic.
In the late afternoon we sailed a short distance to a more sheltered bay which had clear
water, good swimming and turtles. On to St Martin demain.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 14:30:31 - At Sea - 18:30.027 N 64:21.613 W
St Martin, Anguilla, Virgin Gourda (British Virgin Islands) - Made passage for St
Martin, stopping briefly at Isle de Fourchue. Arrived Marigot Bay (French St Martin) at
1630 in time for sundowners. Being Easter weekend a gospel preacher was in town and
despite being anchored off we could hear every word plus the French translation of 3½ hour
sermon ! Next morning went ashore but the Easter holiday weekend meant most shops
were closed much to the boys delight.
In the late afternoon, we moved through the raised bridge to the lagoon. Enjoyed a lovely
evening ashore in the marina and had a delicious meal at a waters edge restaurant. Made
a bright and early start to refuel, top up water and then sailed to Anguilla.
Arrived in Anguilla's Road Bay where we had to check in to Customs. This involved
writing out our details five times without carbon paper ! Went for a walk along the beach to
ex-pat Roy's Bar and Restaurant and had a welcome cold drink and chat with Roy. The
locals were busy preparing their Anguillan built boats for a sailing regatta due to be held on
the next day..
Next morning, had a stop at Little Bay. Locals fished and we swam. After lunch onto
tropical paradise, Sandy Island, a real 'Robinson Crusoe' island, white sand, three palm
trees and a beach hut serving cocktails. Margaret and Moira tried "High Tide" - Turquoise
Blue and potent ! The boys were by tempted by a "Shipwreck" (8 measures of rum) but
decided to play safe with a simple rum punch. Weaved back to boat through a coral reef,
had an early meal and sailed overnight to Virgin Gourda in The Virgin Islands, 14
hours. Margaret and Moira
Sunday, April 19, 2009 15:53:06 - At Sea - 18:26.568 N 64:45.053 W
The Virgin Islands - Arrived at Spanish Town in Virgin Gourda (The Fat Virgin) in time
to witness the Easter Parade complete with steel bands and stilt dancers. Next day we
made a beach stop on Prickly Pear island before anchoring off The Bitter End Yacht Club.
We dined at The Saba Rock Restaurant which was located on a quarter acre rock. It was a
great experience, and meal. We sat at the waters edge. Beneath us underwater lights
illuminated the fish swimming by. One moment of excitement came when a departing
dinghy accidentally untied our dinghy and caused us some consternation as we saw our
19
boat floating off into the darkness. Fortunately they realised what they had had done and
returned our boat.
Next morning we explored the Bitter End resort which was beautifully laid out. Our
departure was upset by the realisation that a gust of wind had inverted the dinghy which
still had the engine attached. Stopped at Biras Creek for lunch and emergency engine
repairs. Engine started first time after overhaul.
We sailed out via Leverick Bay and headed to the southern end of Virgin Gourda ready
for an early bath in 'The Baths' the next morning, these are granite boulders which the sea
swirls between.
We sailed on passing many small islands with names like Fallen Jerusalem and Ginger
Island. Our lunch stop was on Peter Island at another beautiful Caribbean beach. The
evening was spent at anchor in The Bight of Norman Island. This is where pirates
reputedly left their treasure but we found none !
Next day we sailed the short distance to Soper's Hole on the SW corner of Tortola. A nice
marina run by harbour master John Paul. We visited Pusser's Rum Store and our dinner was
in Pusser's restaurant overlooking the marina.
Saturday saw a leisurely start as we headed for White Bay on the island of Jost van Dyke.
Yet another stunning beach. We had a swim and visited The Soggy Dollar Beach Bar, we
love the names where they actually hang out the wet banknotes out to dry !
Later we went round "Pull or Be Damned" headland to Great Harbour and in the evening
visited the world famous Foxy's Beach Bar for a BBQ. Great meal and enjoyed looking at all
the memorabilia that visitors had left behind pinned to the rafters. Margaret and Moira
Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola - Sunday. Had a lunch time stop at Sandy Cay, another
beautiful deserted island but going ashore in the dinghy was interesting because of the
swell ! The island, owned by The Rockerfeller Trust, is maintained as a tropical paradise.
Crossed over to Cane Garden Bay, Tortola for our overnight anchorage.
Monday - Next day sailed round the north end of Tortola to Trellis Bay where we
anchored just yards from the end of the airport runway. We had fun watching the private
jets landing and guessing which would be our plane on Thursday.
Tuesday - Left for Road Town and had a bumpy sail round the NE side of the island.
There were two cruise ships tied up at Road Town which we passed on our way to Village
Cay Marina. In the pm we explored the town and helped the boys with the majority of the
provisioning for the return voyage.
That evening we were invited onto Solferino , another Scottish yacht, for sundowners
which was followed by an Italian meal.
Wednesday - Moved around to Nanny Cay Marina, our last port of call. Since our arrival,
we have enjoyed all the facilities which include a swimming pool, beach area, shops and
restaurant. In the evening we enjoyed a final restaurant meal with the boys.
Thursday - Spent a pleasant morning by the pool and we are now waiting for the taxi for
the airport. We will be very sad to leave Blue Tarn. The boys have looked after us very well
and we've had a wonderful time. We are happy to know that they will soon be home and I'm
sure you will join us in wishing them Bon Voyage. Margaret and Moira
Sunday, April 26, 2009 20:43:42 - At Sea -

20
Stage 3 Beckons - Now that Moira and Margaret have returned to the U.K are thoughts
have begun to focus on doing the same.
Our plan is to sail north the 850 miles to Bermuda, spend a few days catching up on sleep
before sailing the 1,800 miles to The Azores. From there we plan to sail to southern
Ireland and then back up The Irish Sea to Campbeltown, hoping to arrive back at the
end of June.
We have spent the last couple of days getting everything ready for the journey and might
depart as early as tomorrow if the weather looks suitable.
The next entry on the blog will be after we have started and I will try to report daily during
the voyage. Congratulations to The Carradale Drama Club with their success in Ardrishaig.
We have just heard the news. Well done !
Monday, April 27, 2009 15:16:25
Departure Day - 02.16 GMT All ready to leave. Will cast off in about an hours time.
Bermuda here we come !
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 18:05:04 - At Sea - 22:38.067 N 64:40.237 W
Making good progress N. Wind ENE 4 - 5. It has taken a while for us both to get our sea legs
again and to get into the routine and rhythm of being at sea. It is very hot down below as
we have closed all the hatches because of the spray.
Continuing to make good progress. 128 miles in the last 24 hours. Will pass the half
waypoint soon with 470 miles to go. Wind NE - ENE Force 4. It is still very hot but have
managed to open the middle hatch a little which helps. Have just baked a loaf and done
some laundry. Every so often we have to clear not only the flying fish, but also the Sargasso
Seaweed from the decks.
Friday, May 1, 2009 18:23:29 - At Sea - 26:37.216 N 65:18.073 W
Wind NE 4 - 5. Therefore making good progress in not quite the right direction. We are a
little west of where we would like to be. About 360 miles to go. Everything well. We are
sleeping well and spend the days in the cockpit keeping watch, reading or just lazing. We
have only seen three ships since we left The British Virgin Islands.
Saturday, May 2, 2009 18:06:25 - At Sea - 28:45.992 N 65:23.432 W
Wind has veered a little and is now blowing ENE 3 - 4. We are nearly laying our course. In
the last 24 hours we covered 131 miles and have 217 miles to go. All things being equal we
should arrive sometime on Monday.
It is getting noticeably colder. The sea temp has dropped 6 degrees and the day time air
temp similarly. At this rate I will have to start wearing a shirt again. Nights are much cooler
and the cockpit gets very damp with the dew. Consequently, we have to wear oilskins in
order to keep dry.
Sunday, May 3, 2009 18:14:16 - At Sea - 30:56.489 N 64:49.074 W
Continuing to make good progress, 137 miles in last 24 hours. Wind SE 2 - 3. Fortunately we
have quite a bit of current with us which is pushing us towards our destination. It looks as
though we should be seeing the lights of Bermuda just as dawn arrives. Only 83 miles to go.
21
Monday, May 4, 2009 18:42:41 - At Sea - 32:22.787 N 64:40.324 W
Have arrived safely in St Georges, Bermuda. We motored through The Cut at 6 am 'Local
Time' just ahead of a cruise liner. We were directed immediately to the Customs Berth and
were first in the queue when they opened at 8 am, some boats arriving just a little earlier
are still waiting to clear ! Overall journey time was 6½ days which isn't bad for 850 miles.
We will now spend a couple of days catching breathe before starting on the 2nd leg of our
return home, the journey to The Azores.
Thursday, May 7, 2009 00:58:11 - At Sea - 32:22.787 N 64:40.324 W
Departing Bermuda - We plan to depart Bermuda tomorrow morning after clearing

customs and topping up with water and fuel. Our destination is Horta in The Azores,
which is about 1,800 miles away. The journey should take 2 - 3 weeks. For those following
the blog, I shall endeavour to report the position at lunchtime ('Local Time') each day
starting on Friday. We have very much enjoyed our few days in Bermuda.
Yesterday we toured right around the island and visited The Naval Dockyard and
Hamilton. We particularly liked visiting The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club where we were
given a tour by a past commodore. The trophy room walls are lined with half models of the
winners of the Newport - Bermuda race. It was like looking at the history of yacht design.
Left Bermuda at 0930 hours and have travelled 171 miles up till 12 noon today helped in no
small part by a favourable current. To start with the wind was SE 3 - 4. It has now veered to
S 4 - 5. We have quickly returned to our routine at sea and all is well. Every so often we see
what looks like a celophane wrapper floating in the sea. Upon closer inspection they seem
to be the dorsal fin of a small fish. We are calling them sailfish for want of anything better !
Good, steady progress. We covered 130 miles in the last 24 hours. Winds are S 4 - 5. The
"normal" route to The Azores would be north of our track. However, there are gales
forecast there at the moment so we are staying closer to 'the rhumb line' for now.
We have decided that the "fish" with sails that we reported yesterday are not fish at all. Our
present theory is that they might be immature Portuguese Men-of-War jellyfish. As I write
this, Mike has just shouted down that we are being visited by dolphins. So far, since leaving
Bermuda, the only human sighting we have had has been the occasional plane flying
overhead. The sea itself is remarkably empty of shipping. We are moving our clocks forward
an hour today to reflect our progress eastwards.
125 miles run in 23 hours, we lost an hour moving the clocks forward. Wind SW 4 - 5. We
are bowling along making good progress. It is getting noticeably cooler. Both of us have
started to wear long trousers at night and the sleeping bags are also now in use. We still
haven't seen another vessel. Is there anybody out there ?
133 miles in the last 24 hours. Winds SW 5 - 6 but beginning to moderate now. One reef in
the main and jib goose-winged. We had some excitement in the night. We were overtaken
by a Russian cargo ship. We spoke to him on the radio and he said his vessel was 100
metres long and was on passage from Miami to Iraq via Gibraltar. He said that he first
22
picked us up as a feint target on his radar at a range of 10 miles. Its good to know that we
can be seen by other vessels.
We are both well and in good spirits because we are making good progress. Last night we
had our first gin and tonic for a while as a sundowner. The rum has run out, fortunately we
have ample stocks of gin !
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 16:15:53 - At Sea - 34:55.622 N 51:00.993 W
We are bowling along making great progress. In the last 24 hours we covered 141 miles and
have 1,081 miles to go. We should pass the half way point in the next 36 hours. Wind SW 5
- 6. Bright and sunny.
We are noticing the cooler temperatures. We are both wearing fleeces and long trousers.
The bread takes longer to rise and the laundry needs two days to dry.
We saw three ships overnight. I wonder why we don't see anything during the daytime ?
We spend a lot of our time reading.
We had quite a library to begin with, but in The British Virgin Islands we were berthed next
to an American boat that was packing up for the hurricane season. They gave us quite a
pile of books, so we won't run out of reading matter.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 16:12:17 - At Sea - 35:35.620 N 48:03.098 W
151 miles in 24 hours, 930 miles to The Azores. We shall reward ourselves for passing the
half way stage with some chocolate ! We continue to bowl along in SW 5 winds. However,
forecasts predict that we could be facing headwinds by Friday, so we must make the most
of the good winds.
We had a nice e-mail from a Swedish yacht called Shiraz who are also heading to Horta,
they wanted to borrow some sugar ! They are 68 feet long so will arrive well before us.
133 miles in 23 hours. We changed our clocks again yesterday and are now 2 hours behind
BST. 800miles to go. Wind now N5. We had a big 120 degree wind-shift at 0400. The wind
then went light, leaving a very confused sea. We had to motor for about 4 hours. However,
the wind has now filled in again and we are again romping along, but on the port tack.
It is grey, misty with occasional drizzle. The temp has dropped to 19 degrees C. We might
just turn back and return to warmer climes, only joking !
Had radio contact with Swedish yacht Christina which is also 35 feet long and also headed
towards The Azores.
Head winds ! NE 4-5 are slowing our progress. Hoping they will veer to SE in next 24 hours.
710 miles to go. Grey and miserable weather. Pouring with rain. Just like the West Coast of
Scotland. However, despite all, spirits are high and everything well.
Made very poor progress in last 24 hours. Force 5 - 6 NE headwinds and very confused sea
meant we could do little more than reach. Wind has now veered to SE4 so making better
progress now. 636 miles to go

23
We are now making some modest progress towards our destination with 551 miles to go.
Wind ESE 5 means that we an make some progress by motor-sailing. Its a good job that we
are carrying extra fuel. We thought we would be motoring through the calm seas of The
Azores 'High' ! Everybody is well.
Winds have gradually eased over the last 24 hours and are now SE 3. We made reasonable
progress and now have 432 miles to go. The winds are forecast to stay light for a while
before filling in from the NE so we are quite happy to be heading a little north of our target.
We are both well and cheered by an improvement in the weather. it is now warmer and
drier and we are giving the boat a good airing.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 15:12:05 - At Sea - 38:09.078 N 35:43.788 W
We can see Britain ! Well, not your actual coastline, but we have now progressed far
enough E to have to turn the Atlantic chart over. We are no longer leaving The Americas,
but approaching Europe, that milestone deserves some chocolate.!
Yesterday the wind died away to nothing at 4 pm just as Margaret predicted in her forecast.
That enabled us to get the boat dried out a bit. The wind returned at exactly 0450 hours at
N 30 knots. Bang out of nowhere ! We are now bowling along with 318 miles to go.
213 miles to go. Wind NNE 6 gusting 7. Quite rough ! Everything well. Have now changed
our clocks to Azores time.
We are nearly there ! We have 109 miles to go to our way-point and then another 25 miles
to Horta itself. Tonight should be our last at sea for a while.
Winds have eased a little in the last 12 hours. Now NNE 4 and expected to fall away further
through the day as the pressure builds. We are both looking forward to being in harbour. All
this windward sailing has been very wearing.
Friday, May 22, 2009 17:47:44 - At Sea - 38:31.988 N 28:37.527 W - Horta
Blue Tarn arrived safely at Horta at 12 noon today. Michael and Tony are in good spirits,
looking forward to a meal ashore tonight and a good sleep.
Monday, May 25, 2009 15:52:35 - 38:31.988 N 28:37.527 W - Horta
The Azores - We have had a pleasant few days here. There are plenty of 'Blue Water'
yachts here to look at and stories to exchange with their crews. Each evening is spent at
the famous Cafe Sport where everybody meets.
Yesterday we went for a taxi tour of the island which included a new museum/exhibition
about the 1957 eruption which was fascinating.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, we plan to set off on our final leg of our Atlantic Circuit. We are heading
for the South of Ireland, probably Crosshaven, but will make a final decision when we
get nearer.
Crosshaven is 1,200 miles away and the journey should take 10 - 14 days.
24
Departed Horta at 0915 and have made 154 miles progress to midday today. At first, winds
were light and variable, but settled to a SE4 by 6 pm when we passed the island of
Graciosa. Since then we have made great progress, broad reaching with full sail. We are
both well and enjoying the conditions.
We are making excellent progress, having sailed 148 miles in the last 24 hours. The wind is
SSE 5 so we are bowling along. It is surprisingly cold even though there are no clouds in the
sky. We are well wrapped up with plenty of fleeces on.
Last night I was given the night off from my cooking duties. Mike cooked his speciality dish,
Omelette a la Blue Tarn !
We have continued to make good progress with 136 miles covered in the last 24 hours.
During the night, the wind shifted to the NW and was touching 30 knots for a time, it eased
at daybreak and is now NW 4. The forecast suggests that it will continue to veer so we are
expecting headwinds at some point. We are both well and enjoying the sunshine.
Made good progress yesterday, but not in the right direction. Head winds, NE 3 - 4, are
causing us to tack. the forecast suggests that the wind will veer to the east in the next 24
hours. We are both well and enjoying the hazy sunshine. We will move our clocks to BST
this afternoon.
Bobbing along in The Atlantic ! We are experiencing headwinds at the moment so progress
towards our target has been frustratingly slow. Wind is currently ESE 3 - 4. Other than that
we are both well. we seem to spend a lot of our time sleeping, there are few times in the
day when we are both in the cockpit.
I have just finished reading War and Peace. Mike has been re-reading old newspapers, in
case there is anything he missed ! We stick fairly rigidly to our routine.
The highlight of the day is a shower at 5 pm followed by a sundowner. I regret to say that
we ran out of tonic yesterday, but gin and orange is quite nice !
Monday, June 1, 2009 14:35:03 - At Sea - 47:22.028 N 16:23.280 W
Wind veered yesterday evening to SE 4 - 5 which allowed us to get back on course. Wind
against Gulf Stream has produced quite choppy conditions, difficult to type ! We sailed 133
miles in last 24 hours, all to windward ! Only about 450 miles to go before we reach The
Irish Sea. I hope the wind gives us a break before then. We are both well.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 12:15:33 - At Sea - 48:38.338 N 14:05.452 W
We are still bobbing along close on the wind. The wind is now ESE 4 - 5 which means that
we are being pushed further west than we hoped. The last 24 hours saw us sail 122 miles.
We are slowly getting closer to Ireland !
We can now pick up Radio 4 on long wave so that makes us feel closer to home.
25
Wednesday, June 3, 2009 12:30:41 - At Sea - 50:37.059 N 12:17.881 W
We sailed 141 miles in the last 24 hours but our heading has been slowly deteriorating as
the wind has backed to its present ENE 4.
Yesterday a fluffy, bedraggled brown bird flew straight down the hatch and landed on the
bookcase. When it looked down it saw Michael lying on the bunk below looking up at it. This
was too much for the wee bird so it flew forward into the fore-cabin. There it stayed for
about 30 seconds before flying out of the boat. About a minute later it returned and landed
on the rail. I went below to get a crust of bread and my camera, but it flew off.
The day before about half a dozen swifts came up to the boat. They were obviously looking
to hitch a ride, but at the time there was a lot of spray flying about and they thought better
of it. I thought that the bird migrations would be over by now. Perhaps these birds were off
course because of the strange wind direction. This is "Bill Oddie" signing off . . .
Thursday, June 4, 2009 12:25:06 - At Sea - 51:31.702 N 10:08.992 W
Land Ho ! We sighted Dursey Head, at the very SW corner of Ireland, at 0900 hours this
morning. We are now heading towards Baltimore where we hope to tie up before nightfall.
We have endured headwinds for a week, still got them and it has been hard work. Its good
to have made it. I think I may sleep for a week !
Sunday, June 7, 2009 10:21:19 - At Sea - 51:50.472 N 7:51.444 W - Baltimore
We finally arrived at Baltimore at 7 pm Thursday, tied up alongside a fishing boat at the

pier and then dived into the pub for a meal. It was great to get on dry land again. After a
good night's sleep, we had a pleasant day relaxing and departed Baltimore at 6 am
Saturday to head east towards the SE corner of Ireland.
At first the wind was N4 and we made good progress but, by the time we got to Kinsale,
the wind had veered to NE and strengthened to Force 6 gusting 8. At that point we decided
to head into Crosshaven where we were pleased to pick up a mooring in the gusty wind
and pouring rain.
This morning we departed at 7 am. This time the headwinds are lighter, NNE 4 and we will
see how far we can get along the coast before nightfall. At the moment we have Dunmore
East in our sights, but it depends on the wind.
The boat now has a spring in her step. We have emptied our emergency water containers
into the main tank and have used up quite a lot of diesel fuel since leaving Horta.
We have also begun to run down our food supplies. As a result, the boat is somewhat lighter
!
Monday, June 8, 2009 13:12:59 - At Sea - 52:06.883 N 7:09.472 W - Youghall
Yesterday we decided that we would not get to Dunmore East before nightfall, so instead
we went into the historic port of Youghall (pronounced 'Yawl').
We tied up to a jetty and had a stroll around the town and a good look at a small museum.
It used to be an important port, but now is a little run down.
This morning we departed at 5am to try again to get eastwards. Yet again the wind is
directly on the nose so progress is slow. The wind started at ENE 5. However, there are
signs that it might veer to the E. Lets hope so.
26
At our present rate, if we keep going, we might arrive at Kilmore Quay, at about 8 pm.
That would be 15 hours hard on the wind. It certainly isn't proving easy getting home !
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 17:56:30 - At Sea - 52:47.555 N 6:08.666 W - Arklow
Arklow - Yesterday we plodded on and finally arrived at Kilmore Quay at 7 pm. We

repaired to the pub and had a fine meal.
This morning, we left at 0430 hours in order to catch the tide around Carnsore Point. The
wind, of course, was right on the nose, NE 4, so we were very thankful to have the tide
under us.
We finally arrived at Arklow at 1430 and are moored in the old fish dock. We have just
been to have our hair cut.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 17:04:35 - At Sea - 53:39.439 N 5:52.207 W -
Had long lie-in this morning ! Alarm didn't ring until 0520 hours ! Immediately departed
Arklow and rode the tide northwards towards Howth. Wind started NE 3 - 4 but fell away
during the afternoon to Force 1.
We have decided to sail on through the night and head straight for Bangor where we
expect to arrive about lunch-time tomorrow.
Thursday, June 11, 2009 09:44:53 - 54:39.868 N 5:40.318 W - Bangor Marina
Bangor Marina - We arrived here this morning having made good progress with the tide
with us as we closed the coast. We will remain here for two nights while Michael visits his
relations before departing early Saturday morning for the final leg of our journey to
Campbeltown.
Friday, June 12, 2009 09:54:42 - 54:39.868 N 5:40.318 W - Bangor Marina
Blue Tarn expected in Campbeltown early Saturday afternoon - We plan to depart

Bangor at 0200 hours Saturday morning in order to catch the north running tide.
It is very difficult to give a precise ETA because sailboats don't run to a timetable but are
governed by variables such as tide, wind speed and wind direction. However, we think that
we will not arrive before noon and if past experience is anything to go by, it will be nearer
to 1400 hours.
We plan to post a message on our blog when we pass Sanda. It takes about an hour from
there to Campbeltown.
Saturday, June 13, 2009 11:38:48 - At Sea - 55.25.35N 5.36.19W
Campbeltown ETA 2 pm. We are on course to arrive at the pontoon at Campbeltown at 2

pm today, Saturday.
27
Homecoming - Saturday June 13, 2009
Tony, Margaret, Michael and Moira
TAILPIECE
Elsewhere on the internet, a note from Tony and Margaret's daughter writes, "He didn't tell
Mum until he got to The Azores, that on the leg from Bemuda they were in big seas and he
was sat on the toilet, they got to a crest of a wave and then crashed back down again, he
didn't move as fast as the boat and bashed his head !!!!! Apparently he then had blurred
speech and other signs of concussion for a whole 24 hours afterwards !!!!!
"Mum only found out when she reminded Dad that they needed to wear their helmets in
strong seas (which they do out on deck, but not inside !), he fessed up, but still refused to
go and see a doctor on The Azores !!!!!
"On the way their boat had a shark attack !!!!! - Ahhhh - now I know why you carry the
migraine tablets and the imodium in the same pencil case !!!!!
FLASHBACK PHOTO FROM

THE LEAVING OF CAMPBELTOWN
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 - 10.47 - It was raining !
28

Carradale - Blue Tarn - 2008-2009 - Atlantic Crossings

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Carradale - Blue Tarn - 2008-2009 - Atlantic Crossings

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CARRADALE'S BLUE TARN'S ATLANTIC CROSSINGS

2008 / 2009 WEB DIARY

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 - 20.51 - Campbeltown - 55.25.35 N 5.36.19 W -

Monday, September 29, 2008 - 10.47 - Campbeltown - 55.25.35N 5.36.19W -

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - 14.30 - Bangor - 54:39.868 N 5:40.318 W - The

South of Paterson's Rock, the wind had increased sufficiently to enable us to go on a

Thursday, October 2, 2008 - 14.30 - Howth - 53:23.400 N 6:03.998 W - A

Friday, October 3, 2008 - 19.20 - Wicklow - 52:58.825 N 6:02.215 W - Pleasant

Sunday, October 5, 2008 - 18.10 - Wicklow - 51:55.320 N 7:32.440 W - Left

Monday, October 6, 2008 - 17.03 - Cork - 51:48.326 N 8:18.210 W - Arrived 1am.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 - 08.41 - Bay of Biscay - 49:46.173 N 9:02.224 W -

Thursday, October 9, 2008 - 06.27 - Bay of Biscay - 48:00.519 N 8:57.858 W -

Friday, October 10, 2008 - 04.27 - Bay of Biscay - 46:48.648 N 9:03.492 W -

Thursday, October 16, 2008 - Still in Bayona - 42:07.297 N 8:50.759 W - We

Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 13.35 - At Sea - 41:34.510 N 8:51.657 W -

Monday, October 20, 2008 - 20.35 - Povoa de Varzim - 41:22.269 N 8:45.898 W

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 16.24 - Aviero - 40:39.529 N 8:43.838 W - We set

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 16.38 - Figueira da Foz - 40:08.844 N 8:51.579

Thursday, October 23, 2008 - Figueira da Foz + Wildlife - 40:08.844 N 8:51.579

Friday, October 24, 2008 - 18.21 - Nazare - 39:35.009 N 9:04.515 W - No detail

Sunday, October 26, 2008 - 19.16 - Cascais - 38:41.596 N 9:24.965 W - Alarm

Monday, October 27, 2008 - 17.04 - Cascais - 38:41.596 N 9:24.965 W -

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 18.47 - Cascais - 38:41.596 N 9:24.965 W - It has

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - 18.43 - Lisbon - 38:43.000 N 9:08.010 W - We

Saturday, November 1, 2008 - 08.23 - At Sea - 37:28.920 N 11:04.398 W - 24

Sunday, November 2, 2008 09:05:31 - At Sea - 36:06.346 N 13:16.699 W - All

Monday, November 3, 2008 06:59:11 - At Sea - 34:50.179 N 14:59.435

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 08:17:56 - At Sea - 32:59.255 N 16:11.996 W

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 19:25:47 - At Sea - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W -

Thursday, November 9, 2008 17:39:23 - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W -

Friday, November 11, 2008 17:10:07 - 32:44.491 N 16:42.713 W - Quinta do

Sunday, November 13, 2008 13:01:06 - At Sea - 30:40.993 N 16:30.978 W -

Monday, November 14, 2008 08:53:21 - At Sea - 28:55.000 N 15:40.240

Saturday, November 15, 2008 13:32:34 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Sunday, November 16, 2008 17:34:53 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497

Monday, November 17, 2008 17:42:53 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 18:14:03 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Thursday, November 20, 2008 18:35:07 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Friday, November 21, 2008 17:51:31 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Saturday, November 22, 2008 18:12:00 - At Sea - 28:07.663 N 15:25.497 W -

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:53:53 - At Sea - 25:49.329 N 17:43.245 W

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 12:08:00 - At Sea - 24:46.360 N 18:58.755 W

Thursday, November 27, 2008 12:08:29 - At Sea - 23:31.971 N 20:35.784 W

0900 Breakfast Cereal, Fruit juice, Tea/coffee, & vitamin pill

Its a good job that the boat sails itself !

Friday, November 28, 2008 12:01:54 - At Sea - 22:04.807 N 22:18.436 W - ENE

Saturday, November 29, 2008 11:56:40 - At Sea - 20:44.202 N 24:00.589 W

Sunday, November 30, 2008 12:11:34 - At Sea - 19:28.888 N 25:43.106 W

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 11:58:19 - At Sea - 17:58.273 N 29:08.807 W

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:32:40 - At Sea - 17:43.592 N 31:09.00 W

Thursday, December 4, 2008 12:03:34 - At Sea - 17:14.941 N 33:30.122 W

Friday, December 5, 2008 11:58:20 - At Sea - 16:35.365 N 35:36.505 W

Saturday, December 6, 2008 12:00:04 - At Sea - 16:18.317 N 37:27.065 W

Sunday, December 7, 2008 11:56:25 - At Sea - 16:03.073 N 39:22.991 W

Monday, December 8, 2008 11:58:00 - At Sea - 16:09.525 N 41:21.125 W

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 11:45:19 - At Sea - 16:04.282 N 43:12.680 W

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 12:14:30 - At Sea - 15:51.728 N 45:25.797 W

Thursday, December 11, 2008 11:55:30 - At Sea - 15:38.054 N 47:58.972 W

Friday, December 12, 2008 12:42:14 - At Sea - 15:29.000 N 50:21.000 W

Saturday, December 13, 2008 11:54:15 - At Sea - 15:27.651 N 52:20.929 W

Sunday, December 14, 2008 12:05:23 - At Sea - 15:14.379 N 54:00.149 W

Monday, December 15, 2008 11:59:56 - At Sea - 14:52.370 N 56:15.479 W

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:31:47 - At Sea - 14:25.000 N 58:22.000 W

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 12:08:06 - At Sea - 14:09.671 N 60:22.698 W