Cruise to Ireland and the Outer Hebrides
1st Jul 2009After last years successful round Ireland cruise with Pete Bundell this year we had a cruise to the Isle of Man, Bangor NI and the outer Hebrides, ably crewed by Ray Morris and Keith Fisher. Click on the headline above for more text. Hasta Luego! John
[Farewell party on Vaquita, Dartmouth]
[Climbing Holyhead "Mountain"]
[Isle of Man original steam railway]
[John at Cultra Museum, victorian studio]
[Landing on the beach at Barra]
[What is Ray smiling about? Barra Hebrides]
[Dolphins in the Outer Hebrides]
[Vaquita at anchor Loch Scavaig Skye]
[Keith, Sheila, Richard and Ray]
[Ray fishes for our supper, no luck!]
[Kinloch Casle Rum, many midges]
[Ray samples Laphraoig at the still]
[Scottish cruise 2009 sunset, its real!]
Cruise to Madeira with David Latham
28th Sep 2008During the month of August I had an excellent cruise to Madeira with old friend David Latham on board his yacht Iris Mary from Faro Portugal to Porto Santo, Madeira main island and back to the River Guadiana. for more text click on the headline above. Hasta Luego!! John
[Iris Mary berthed at Porto Santo, Madeira]
[I helped David retouch Iris Mary wallpainting]
[Eagle Rock, Madeira north coast]
[John in the Madeira mist above Portelas]
[madeira clouds roll over the mountain]
[View from road up to Campo Grande plateau]
[Atlntic sunset on return leg to Algarve]
Cruise around Ireland with Pete Bundell
15th Sep 2008During the month of May Pete and I sailed round Ireland clockwise visiting Baltimore, Derrynane, Dingle, GReat Blasket Island, Smerwick harbour, Inishmore Arran, Inishbofin, Arranmore, Swilly, Port Ellen on Islay, Bangor near Belfast, Howth and Arklow, met Irelands Aileen Mann of her solo cruise and our friends Richard and Sheila on Islay. Thanks for your help Pete it was a great trip. John
[Land fall at Baltimore West Cork Ireland]
[aileen Mann and Bridie, Arklow]
[Dingle Town, live music at hotel near marina]
[Overlooking Blasket Sound, Dingle]
[Great Blasket Island, off Dingle peninsular]
[Richard and Sheila Houston, Islay]
[lagavulin distillary, didn't book, no tastings!]
[Howth Tram Culta museum Bangor]
[Cottage at Ulster folk museum]
[Pete says hello to Molly Malone, Dublin]
[Long ships light and basking shark]
Touring holiday of Southern Ireland
11th Aug 2007In late July and Early August we had an excellent holiday touring Ireland in the campervan and found the weather drier than that in the UK. Click on the headline for more text! Hasta luego.
[Croagh Patrick view to Clew bay]
Cruise to the Azores
6th Jul 2007Excellent PCC cruise to the Azores with Pete Bundell, Margaret and Val join us in Horta, rendezvous with Geoff McBroom of Fly and Jim Harris of Avon Grace. click on headline for more text!
[Farewell party Dartmouth on board Vaquita]
[Leaving Dartmouth for the Azores 2007]
[Weird sky over Pico and 52 knots of wind]
[Faial Capelinhos volcano site, ]
[Pico summit party flying the flag for PCC]
[Horta's earthquake damaged lighthouse]
[Lagoa do Furnas, lakeside walk in rain]
[Sete Cidades, from Vista do Rea]
Super Holiday in Cuba
22nd Mar 2007For the first 2 weeks in March we spent a great holiday in cuba with Pieter and Marilyn Koops and Paul and Mary Britten. Click on headline for more text.
[Habana, Plaza de la Revolucion]
[Habana Vieja, one careful owner, low miles]
Touring France and Spain
28th Nov 2006We spent five weeks in late October and early November touring France and Spain, initially with Pieter and Marilyn Koops, click on the headline for more text.
[Castillio de Castellar, view from the castle]
[Extramadura, camping wild by the lake]
[Cantabria, up in the mountains]
[Pontrieux, Phillipe and the girls]
Touring France and Spain
28th Nov 2006Late october and early november touring France Spain for five weeks in our new camper van.
[Castillio de Castellar, view from the castle]
[Extramadura, camping wild by the lake]
[Cantabria, up in the mountains]
[Pontrieux, Phillipe and the girls]
Trip to Scotland
15th Sep 2006From 4th September to 14th we had a great trip to Scotland in the new van. Click on headline to see more text
[Canoeing the Falls of Lora, Glen Etive]
[Chris and Neil Robinson hit the falls]
[Chris and Neil Robinson on the Garry river]
[Garry River run, dinghy section]
[Garry River, canoe run for Andy Jackson]
[Glenmore forest, marg on cycle ride]
[Ardnamuchan, Margaret and John, lighthous]
[Ardnamuchan, Sheila and Margaret]
Cruise to Guernsey and Lezardrieux
23rd Jul 2006For ten days Pieter Koops and I had a great visit to Guernsey and Lezardrieux and met up with Janine and Phillipe Gudin again. click on head line for more text.
[Chateau de la Roche Jagu, Pontrieux]
[Up the Trieux river above Lezardrieux]
[On board Vaquita in Lezardrieux]
[Pieter with Phillipe and Janine Gudin]
[Keith has a go at shearing, mind me bits ]
[Margaret and Koops at Kath Brasnett's site]
[Marg and John in caravanette]
Vaquita back in Dartmouth after 2 years
5th Jun 2006Left Sao Miguel Azores after Bob who came out with me suddenly left without warning or explanation. Advertised for crew but no one looking for passage to the UK. Enjoyed a smoke free 11 day singled handed passage back to Dartmouth except for another gale for 36 hours, no damage luckily. Kept in touch with Rolf on Martha Maria by VHF who had been knocked down in the gale and lost most electronic equipment.
[Back in Dartmouth with Helen and Tim]
[Rendezvous with Rolf on Martha Maria]
[Mildred Monitor, bestest crew member]
[Another reptile, friendly, on Sao Miguel]
In Sao Miguel a few more days
5th May 2006Bob has had to go back to the UK to be with Sheila as her Mother has sadly died after her recent illness, all our sympathies to you and your family at this sad time Sheila. I have had the opportunity to visit Sete Cidades and Furnas with itīs famous fumaroles, geysers and geothermal pools. I will try to attach some pictures. Met a lovely couple; Diana and Lawrence Brown from Shrewsbury, thanks for your company on our walk. All the best John.
[Furnas fumarole, very hot, do not fall in.]
[Furnas, Terra Nostra, geothermal hot pool]
[Furnas, Terra Nostra park, swimming in geothermal pool]
[Furnas fumarole, Lawrence and John]
[Furnas fumarole, Diana and Lawence Brown]
[Sete Cidades, Lagoa Azul lake side]
Now in Ponta Delgarda, Sao Miguel, Azores
2nd May 2006after 8 days passage from Lagos, Southern Portugal have made a safe landfall on the beautiful island of Sao Miguel. Had 2 days of gales while the Guadiana was pretty wet and windy as well I beleive. saw 3 fin whales, 4 loggerhead turles and many dolphins. Visited the amazing Sete Cidades volcano site, and the ble and green lakes. Bob gone back to the UK for a few days as his mother in law is ill. Take care folks, John.
[John and Bob at Cabo San Vincent]
[Tunnel Two, no bats yet !! ??]
[Walking the Severn Tunnel valley, Pomarao]
Spring time on the Guadiana
10th Apr 2006Margaret and I are enjoying the lovely spring weather at San Lucar, the hills are GREEN and the flowers are wonderful,see if I can add a flower photo. Attended a beautiful art exhibition by artist Andrew Stockland at Alcoutim libary, he paints water colours of the area.
[Wild flowers along the Guadiana]
[round the table at 12 Plaza de Espana]
[Andrew Shortland at Alcoutim]
[Andrew Shortland at Alcoutim]
Up at San Lucar de Guadiana
1st Apr 2006Margaret out in Spain now, met up with Jeanne and Davidīs neice Karen, her daughter Emily and Rob. Emily is very fond of Olly and Ossi the dogs.
[Emily and Ossi at Puerto Carbon]
Back in the River Guadiana
23rd Mar 2006After a successful visit to Egypt with a cruise on the Nile and a visit to Lake Nasser to see Abu Simbel in the company of Peiter, Marilyn, Jeanne, David, MAry and Paul, all from the PCC. Margaret flies out on the 29th of March.
[He's not smiling, he's thinking of lunch]
[Visit to Lake Nasser, Abu Simbel]
Soon off to visit Eygpt and cruise down the Nile
24th Jan 2006Shortly we will visit the wonders of ancient Eygpt again with Pieter and Marilyn Koops and Jeanne and David Latham. Latest project has been to write our old family videos on betamax to DVD with the kind help of Kyrle and her sony C7 while it is still working! V hard to find aworking b/max machine now. Here is a link to some of Kyrle's art work as none of it is viewable on the net elsewhere.
[kyrle du heaume, village scene]
[kyrle du heaume, skull and fence tapistry]
[kyrle du heaume, mystic bird]
[foliage landscape, kyrle du heaume]
[kyrle du heaume, blue tapistry]
[kyrle du heaume, elephant tapistry]
[kyrle du heaume, jungle scene no 4]
[kyrle du heaume, jungle scene no 3]
[kyrle du heaume, jungle scene no 2]
Happy New Year
1st Jan 2006After a week in Faro with Jeff, we are now back in Pill, will go back to Vaquita on 6/3/06. We had a lovely family christmas with Helen, Clare and her boyfriend Rob from Wales and our dear friends Jim and Babs Arters. On new years eve we were invited to Warwick racecourse by John and Joyce McCarthy and had a great day.
[Margaret with Freda and Joyce at Warwick]
[With the McCarthys at Warwick]
[with John and Joyce McCarthy]
Back to Faro for a week
13th Nov 2005Jeff Biddle and I will be spending a week in Faro doing a few jobs on the boat, at the end of the month, but mainly having a week in the sun and warmth away from our current miserable weather. Today we had a lovely walk aong the river Wye to Breinton with Kyrle and Diane. John and Margaret.
[Diane took this on our Wye valley walk with Kyrle]
still in Bruce's yard
1st Nov 2005just to see if I can add some photos of the recent eclipse, look in the shadows of the close up in the right bottom corner and you should see images of the sun with a big notch out of it
[faro boat yard at the 3.10.05 eclipse]
back in Bristol
16th Oct 2005We left Vaquita in Bruce,s yard Faro and we are now back in Bristol to catch up on the the jobs that have been neglected all summer. Today a mini PCC reunion with Jim and Babs Arters and John and Cynthia Barrett to lunch, talk of a trip to the Azores!!
In Bruce,s boatyard Faro
28th Sep 2005After our visit to Gibraltar, Santi Petri( very windy) Rota, El Rompidio and Tavira we spent a pleasant couple of weeks in the Rio Guadiana at San Lucar. Then back down to Villa Real, then the Culatra lagoon and now we have lifted out in Faro boatyard, lots of old friends to meet there and now new ones as well. It is a very social place! Best local eating is the Adega Nova. All the best till we meet again.
Now back in Torrevieja
14th Jul 2005At anchor in the harbour in Torrevieja for a few days, after Majorca visited the nature reserve at Caberera, very good, then up to Porto Colom, across to Mahon, visit to La Mola, then Fornells, around the top of Menorca, cala Vinsens in Majorca, down the Noth West coast(fanastic scenery) to Andraix, acoss to Ibiza(noisy), Morayra, Alicante(pick pockets v active, now Torrevieja.
[cala gandulf, cabrera marine nature reserve]
[clare's strange (banyan?) tree, alicante]
[fantastic scenary majorca n/w coast]
Now in Majorca
11th Jun 2005Have arrived in Majorca after visiting many places after Cartegena. such as Torrevieja, Alicante, Vila Joiosa, Moriara, Ibiza
Now in Torrevieja
12th May 2005Currently anchored in the harbour at Torrevieja, Peter and Stella Edwards have flown back and Helen joins us on 15th. Have recently visited the Mar Menor, Alicante, and Vila Joiosa. Marinas are expensive on this coast and natural anchorages virtually non existant, things should be better in the Baleares.
Now in Torrevieja
3rd May 2005At the club nautico de torrevieja for 3 nights, next stop Alicante to see Peter and Stella to their flight back to Bristol.
[cruising the guadiana with friends/PCC]
now in Cartagena
27th Apr 2005Hi all sorry for long delay in update, now with Peter and Stella Edwards in Cartagena, very beautiful city, all good trips so far from the Guadiana, to Gibraltar, Estapona, Benalmadena, Motril(que caro!) Garrucha and now Cartagena(que barrata)
Back from Nile cruise
28th Jan 2005Margaret and John had a wonderful Nile cruise on the SS Sun Ray from Luxor to Aswan visiting all sites in between and also a day trip to Giza, both amazed by the wonderful temples and the countryside of Eygpt. Back to Faro mid Febuary
christmas walk round tintern with kyrle
19th Dec 2004leaving vaquita in the safe hands of senora bruce at "nave pegos" in faro kyrle had john had a very pleasant walk round tintern visiting the devils pulpit and brockweir before exchanging cards and christmas presents. happy christmas to all our friends and family.
[christmas walk round tintern with kyrle]
Now in Faro
12th Dec 2004Vaquita is now on the hard in the friendly boatyard run by Senor Bruce, I have done most of my winter jobs, new cutless bearing and rebuilding roller reefing drum, change reefing system on mainsail, complete heads take apart: pipes almost clogged with scale build up. Will plan to relaunch end of Febuary then spend week or two in the Rio Guadiana before setting off for the Mediterranean.
Great Royal Free Hospital Reunion
18th Oct 2004Margaret and John had agreat time at the RFHSM reunion in St Albans, super to see so many old friends, 50 at St Michaels Manor. Fly out to Faro on 3/11/04 and then will bring Vaquita to Bruce's boat yard for a crane out, will stay a couple of months perhaps.
Safe in the River Guadiana
11th Oct 2004Vaquita is currently safe in the Guadiana under the kind eye of David Latham while we are back in Bristol for the Royal Free reunion next weekend, then plan to crane out in Faro to do the bottom.
[John exploring the River Guadiana]
in olhao
29th Sep 2004today we are off to meet Jim and Babs from the PCC at faro airport, then sail round to the Rio Guadiana and visit Jeanne and David at Sanlucar de Guadiana, weather still brilliant, hot sunsun all day.
[Margaret and vaquita in Olhao]
now in Olhao Portugal
24th Aug 2004After Cascais and a visit to Lisbon, Clare Dan and I sailed vaquita to Vilamoura, very expensive and touristy, they left me there, then to the Lagoon at Ilsa Culatra near faro with visit to the island, very much out back, met Steve at Faro, then to Rio Guadiane, met Jeanne and David, next went to Vila Real de s Antonio, cheap but v. strong tide, now in unfinished marina at Faro, free!, hot and a bit smelly. Keep in touch, John.
now in cascais
10th Aug 2004all going well
[Dan and Clare on dolphin watch; bay of biscay]
Vaquita's latest news
22nd Jul 2004Hi friends just back from our shake down cruise with Ray and Mavis to visit Philippe and Janine in Lezardrieux with a stop over in Guernsey, just as well as the water pump seal gave up and started leaking, not cured by tightning the cover plate or fitting new gasket suprise suprise, ordered new seals but got them home from dartmouth and found they were the wrong size. Hopefully BRT Bearings in Avonmouth are coming to the rescue (at 1/5th the Volvo price!) Next stop Camaret then Bayona. John