White cliffs of Dover


 

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Aborted Azores trip in Karuna

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On the 20th June me and dad left the Exe heading southwest aboard Karuna, his Rival 34, with a vague plan to sail to the Azores.  By sunset the tide was turning against us as we approached Start point, and after beating into the southwesterlies all day we pulled in and anchored off Salcombe until 3am when the tide turned. We then continued on to St Maws, where we dropped the anchor and caught up on sleep.  The next morning we set off, tacking out into the Channel. By midnight, we had reached the French shipping lanes so changed tack and headed more west. At this point me and dad had been cooped up on his boat together for 3 days and the novelty was begging to fade.  On the fourth morning the wind began to pick up and the boat set into a horrible slamming motion, making living much more difficult. Anything from cooking to going for a pee was horrible and we avoided going below unless to sleep.  By the next morning the wind had picked up and was accompanied by a relatively short, choppy
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Across the Channel for Paimpol festival

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 In the last week of July, Falanda and I set off across the channel accompanied by my parents on Karuna.  The morning started out windless so we motored until torbay when the wind picked up and we started sailing, close hauled at about 4.5 kts. The wind increased and a few waves skirted over the stern, splashing the tillerpilot which in turn got wet and packed up.  We then had a few hours of perfect sailing, the helm so light that falanda was steering herself, under full main and slightly reefed jib. At sunset we hove to so that I could reef the main and get changed into some dry, warm clothes before it got cold.  Then it got dark, and we started approaching the shipping lanes, still sailing well at about 6 - 6.5kts.  At this point my batteries were getting low, and I needed the AIS on as we crossed the lanes so I tried starting the engine. I then discovered that the batteries were almost dead rather than low, so faffed around turning everything off, whilst also trying to steer the boa
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The Lovely Falanda - Up for Sale

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The lovely Falanda. I have been fortunate enough to cross the channel four times this year with Falanda, 3 solo crossings and one in a thunder and lighting storm with 25/30kts of wind. I have varnished Falanda as she was admired in 3 Classic Boat Festivals this year, and have raced with her beside square riggers.  I have done the work allowing me to sail Falanda, and I know her inside-out. I have loved and cared for Falanda ever since we met in 2019, however it is now time for somebody else to enjoy her company as I sail further out to sea on a more suitable, but almost definitely uglier boat.  Falanda, the prettiest boat in the world: https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/morgan-giles-west-channel-for-sale/710006#
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