SUJET :

Freebird Cruise March - Sept 2022

In Numbers. 2k nautical miles, 6 countries, 2 continents, 6 months, 40 Stops, 23 consecutive passages with dolphins (record was 6 pods in a day).

38 nights in a marina. 148 nights at anchor.

£317 Boat maintenance, including pilot books.
£1,039. Shopping, food, eating out and general spending
£667, Bills, Phones, insurance.
£1,065. Utilities, Fuel, Gas
£633. Mooring, harbor dues
£2,400. New mainsail

Some numbers are wonky, for example we spent 3 weeks in Hythe marina that was paid for by my Grandfather when visiting him and my family, on the flip side we would have not have been at that marina and would have spent more time at anchor. Also, our insurance happened to renew during this 6 months and so some of that cost needs to be spread over 12 months and not 6.

After spending 4 years sailing and refitting Freebird we left Fambridge, Essex on the east cost of the UK on Friday 25th March 2022 for the river Roach for 1 Night the catch the morning tide. The next day we set off with light but favorable winds for Eastbourne 120nm away. All past Ramsgate was fine until the winds picked up to over 30kn and we were surfing down waves at 9kn. The first lesson was relearned about reefing at night and reefing early, we still had a full mainsail up but no headsail. After reefing at 2am we made Eastbourn lock at 7am, exactly 24h hours from picking up the anchor on the river Roach. The following day we set out to Chichester and was there on anchor until 3rd April. Again we motor sailed to Hythe opposite Southamton to see family. We spent 3 weeks there.

Leaving Hythe Marina!

We sailed the 3/4 hours down to the Isle of wight into Newtown Creek and was there from the 24th April till 4th May.

The next passage was from the IOW to Poole, and was a terrible passage, the forecast was wrong, the sea state was horrible, and we spent a long time tacking back and forth. On spring tides we have wind over 25kn and 2.5/3m seas, we spent 9 hours beating into the weather, very wet and very cold. We should have turned around and tried again another day. On this passage we both hit very low points and felt very green, it was a reminder that the sea and the weather are not to be taken lightly. Also that we should spend more time packing await items below before a passage, the boat was a mess!

After nearly giving up and going home on the last passage we were hopeful the next would be better, we left Poole and arrived in Portland Harbor on the 9th May. The passage must have been ok as I don't remember anything about it other than keeping out of the firing range.
Due to lots of bad weather and lots of thunderstorms we were stuck in Portland until 22nd May.

Our aim was to get to the Scilly islands west of Cornwall in June but knowing we were not going to get there and back to the Channel Islands we decided to head straight for Guernsey. We spent some time at St Peters port and most at anchor, it was an amazing place but the anchorages are very very rolly unless perfect weather in the north Atlantic! 

At anchor along in Guernsey.

From Guernsey we headed for Brest 138nm. The weather was good to start off with, and passed Roscoff before sunset, but again the wind built to over 30kn on the beam. We had no mainsail and only 1/3rd of the headsail out and made 10.4kn! Sailng very well with big seas we had the port toerail in the water. Then the wind died to 5kn and we were left with 4m seas and 1.7kn of boat speed!

Picture was taken by  a buddie boat on the into Brest!

Our time in Brest was short but productive, 3 nights and off again for an overnight to Morgat, our Schengen clock has started. We were becalmed and little did we know that was the start of things to come for the entire summer.

We spend 4 nights in Benodet and again moved onto the Gulf do Morihan. Where we were hiding form 40kn of wind at anchor.

Houat was a 1 night stay, Ile d'yeu was also a 1 night stay.

3 nights in La Rochelle and then at anchor off Ile de Re waiting for a good weather window to cross to Santander.

We had a 48h weather window appear that looked very good, the forecast was for winds from the NE at 18kn with 20kn gusts. We had that for the first 3 hours and then the wind died completely for the rest of the passage. This was the first time an opertunatity to use our spinnaker presented itself.


We did another overnighter to Aviles as the forecast was good and we actually managed to sail 90& of this trip. Aviles is a brilliant gem that is hidden and i would recommend. The date is now 15th July.
We was boarded by Spanish customs!

The passage to Ribadeo was again a motorsail with little wind and spent 2 nights there.

Again NO wind continued to bother us as we anchored in Viveiro.

Finally, there was wind 15/18kn from the East for a downwind sail, it built to over 25kn and we decided to reef once the boat it 7kn of speed, during that we damaged our mainsail. We arrived in Ares 23rd July.

Mera, 18th July.

Camarinas 29th July, we met friends who had sailed from the UK directly. 

We had the best sail of the year leaving Camarinas, we sailed off the anchor with a fully reefed main and 140% headsail to average 6.5kn in a flat sea to Muros.

We sailed to Cangas and arrived 4th August, the last good sail of the year, down the Portugese coast we had NO wind at all and motored or motorsailed almost all the way, with the exception of a few hours here or there of sailing.

Our first stop in Portugal was Pavoa de varzim. We liked.

Aveiro, we liked.

Figuiero da Foz, was ok.

Penishe, ok.

This is how we spent most of our time on the Portuguese coast, no wind and we had to keep moving.

Cascais, I hated, horrible place! Good Anchorage, few are far between on the Portuguese coast.

Sines, was amazing, everything about it was perfect. History, good walks, good Anchorage, supermarkets 30 min walk.

Sagres, had some wind but not much.

Portimao we expected to dislike but we liked it in the end.

Culatra was a highlight, we arrived 26th August and stayed a few days!

Ayamonte, back in Spain was a wonderful place.

We only spent one night in Mazagon.

Puerto Sherry was noisey and rolly.

Cadiz was wonderful, lots to see and do, good Anchorage under the bridge. This is where we checked out of Schengen with only 3 days to spear on our clock.
Freebird on the left at anchor at Cadiz next to the impressive bridge.

We arrived in Tangier that we have enjoyed so far, having been here for 2 weeks now.

All in all we are dissapinted with the amount of sailing we did and how much motoring was done, the issue being that being now outside of the EU we only had 90 days in Schengen. In the end we were Motoring/sailng 50/50 of the time. Our biggest expense was diesel fuel.

Observations about the feeling 346, Swell over 1.5m and shorter duration less than 7s it becomes uncomfortable. Our 140% head sail means that we can only point 35* to wind. 15kn apparent wind is the Magic number at 7kn boat speed, you should be reefed.

Our boat is in very good mechanical shape, with lots of upgrades. We had a very old mainsail take damage while reefing during a gust. Also a winch pawl. Nothing else broke 

Next year we will be heading from Morocco in March into the med to continue our adventure.

Our club flag after 6 months and 4 gales!