The stage from Cape Town to Saint Helena was a dream compared to, well, practically all the stages since Noumea to Cairns. In St. Helena, I didn't manage to see Napoleon's house due to being too mean but I still enjoyed St. Helena. A strange place. Cape Town to St. Helena, 22/02/17 – 10/03/17 St. Helena, 10/03/17 – 14/03/17 I left the Royal Cap

Despite the big pussy cats and the stripy donkeys and the warm welcome of the South Africans, I was happy to leave South Africa. I was not sorry I came, but the weather is wearing, the sailing isn't fun and the bureaucracy would make Franz Kafka applaud with admiration. Richards Bay, 22/10/16 – 08/01/17 Richards Bay to Durban, 08/01/17 – 09/01/

18 – 30 August 2014, Bora Bora to Apia, Samoa 30 August – 17 September 2014, Apia, Samoa, anchored in Apia Bay then in Apia Marina 1 arrived in Samoa on Saturday 30th of August after a not particularly fun passage. All weathers except (happily) gale or storm. I think we got gale force briefly on Wednesday. Started off OK from Bora Bora then sta

Have I gone round the world? With my arrival in Antigua I cross my trail for the first time. They didn't give F. Magellan the cigar until the Victoria sailed back up the Guadalquivir, though the expedition had already crossed its own track near the Cabo Verde islands. And in fact it was J.S. De Elcano who actually got to smoke it, Magellan having g

Happy New Year and all the best for 2017 to all you cruisers, ex-cruisers and non-cruisers. I had kind of given up on my blog. It is a rather slow and laborious process to load text and pictures into it and it needs a good internet connection to be bearable or even possible. It had got so far in arrears that just thinking of bringing it up to date

French Polynesia 2014 17th May - 6th June, San Cristobal, Galapagos to Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands 6th - 12th June, anchored Atuona 12th June, Atuona to Baie Hanamonenoa, Tahuata 12th - 16th June, Anchored Baie Hanamoenoa 16th - 17th June, Baie Hanamoenoa to Baie de Taiohae, Nuku Hiva 17th June - 03rd July ; Anchored Baie de Taiohae 3rd July

The trip from Saint Helena to Cabedelo in Brazil was another easy passage. Cabedelo, or rather the village or suburb of Jacare further up the Paraiba river where the marinas are, is not the unspoilt romantic traditional place promised by my sailing guide, but neither is it the noisy playground of the rich which is the impression that Noonsite gives

I decided to go to Bermuda rather than head straight for the Azores (as many people seemed to be doing this year) more from force of habit than anything else. But I did want to see the America's Cup boats foiling even if I didn't have time to wait for the racing. The trip up wasn't as good as in 2013 but Bermuda was as beautiful as ever. Antigua to

22 September – 13 October 2014, Savusavu Fiji, on Copra Shed Marina mooring I feel embarrassed writing this blog. I did nothing in Fiji except lay around on the boat; eat in the excellent Indian restaurants of Savusavu, drink cheap Fijian beer in the Copra Shed Marina bar and waste a lot of people's time gathering material for cruises which I nev

17-22 September 2014, Apia Samoa to Savusavu Fiji 17/09 Wednesday 1530 Left Apia at 10h00 just behind Paul and Helen Dickson in Taimoshan. As we sailed along the north coast of Upolu, the smaller island in Samoa they kept a north westerly course and it became obvious they were heading for Wallis and Gromit (or whatever it's called) and weren't goin