Aqualuna - I Can Almost See The Pub From Here!

So this day 15 and our very last day of our Atlantic crossing. What a strange, bittersweet feeling it is to be on the home run with only 140 miles to go. We have dreamed of doing this crossing for as long as we have known each other - for over 30 years - and now it is almost at an end.What a truly extra-ordinary adventure this has been. We have experienced challenging, and sometimes terrifying times - and we have experienced sublime sailing conditions that have entirely bewitched us. I have fallen in love with this great watery wilderness that has beguiled me with its ever changing light, colours and moods. We have frolicked with dolphins, soared along with the lonely sea birds and laughed out loud at the antics of the flying fish. We have celebrated sunrises and sunsets and gloried in. read more...

Aqualuna - High Tea on the High Sea

Wow - I cannot believe we have been at sea for 14 days. I’m honestly not sure what I’ve done with my time other than read, eat and sleep.Obviously I had to get in training for limin’ around the Caribbean, but this is ridiculous.So today I decided that I needed to be a lot more productive.And what better way to do this than to have a bake-athon in order to celebrate, not only 14 days at sea, but also dropping below 400 miles to run to Grenada.First of all we had some bananas that needed using up.I bought very green ones in Mindelo in the hope they would last for much of the journey. In the early stages, this felt like a serious error of judgement as they stubbornly refused to ripen, to the extent that I thought I must have bought plantains by accident.And then of course they did ripen -. read more...

Aqualuna - Midnight Sun: Day 12 (on the night watch)

I can hardly believe our luck! We’ve had champagne sailing for the last few days.  Aqualuna has settled down into her groove and is joyously dashing along under a blue, blue sky with a spicy force 4-5 filling the twins. She’s rocking and rolling merrily along with the following seas. It’s wall-to-wall sunshine out here with the bluest ocean imaginable.  However, it is the night time that is truly spectacular.  We have been lucky enough to have a full moon for the last few days and she is shining fit to burst her buttons and making the night watches truly spectacular.  We are looking forward to arriving in Grenada - and ever so slightly envious that those speedy speed merchants who’ve been leading the pack all the way are (unbelievably) due in. read more...

Aqualuna - Top 10 boat-tastic gadgets you NEED in your life

Well I think I’ve entered some kind of weird mid-Atlantic twilight zone where all days are starting to blend seamlessly one into the other. Very little changes (which after the last leg I’m heartily grateful for) and so instead of boring myself and everyone else with recounting what we’ve had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I started thinking about what we have onboard that makes me grateful I’m doing this in 2023 and that I’m not instead married to Eric Hiscock. Okay - there are obviously quite a few things that are essential for ocean sailing life - sails, toilets, Ernie our autohelm (of the speedy milk-cart fame), husband and crew-mate etc etc. There are also a number of items that I embrace fully having lived on some very basic sailing boats that have offered very little. read more...

Aqualuna - Dancing With Dolphins

Atlantic Crossing - Day 5: We welcomed in the morning with a succession of dolphins racing over to check us out and carouse in the bow wave. The elation you feel when surrounded by these glorious creatures is extraordinary. So, here is the poem I wrote to try and portray the joyousness of the experience and to celebrate all the dolphins who have joined us for a brief moment in time on our journey so far …..Dolphins! we shout, and up goes the cryWave surfing, crest hurdling, they’re coming to raceOur boat is too tempting for them to pass byAnd tilting the rollers they joyfully flyTo join in our fun and to pick up the paceWe’re loving their mischief and glorious gleeOur hearts soar and thrill in the midst of the podAthletic and strong they are boiling the seaEcstatic to join us but wild. read more...