We flew home from Valencia to celebrate the life of a great man. Words can't begin to describe the impact he had on our lives.



April 20, 2021


After visiting with friends in Valencia, we set off for bucket list destinations--Ibiza and Formentera.


    

Breathtaking views and a reminder of the island's electronic awesomeness during the lull of pandemic times.


  


Ibiza is both cute and badass.






We took some time for cultural endeavors, then AZ styled it at anchor. Dance party anyone?

Formentera was the stuff of dreams. And we had it all to ourselves.




















Need we say more?




May 2, 2021

From there, a three night passage to the Rock. The first night was surprisingly pleasant, with tons of bioluminescence and a beautiful orange moon rise. On the second day, we anchored near the Mar Menor for a few hours to take a work call. It was good that we cooked some food, as the conditions got sporty, making the second night pretty hellish.

On the third night, we found a very busy south coast of Spain leading into Gibraltar. There was a line of ships anchored inshore of the shipping lane - right where we wanted to be. Not ideal at night.

  


Cadiz. One of the most enchanting places we've ever visited.






 







  


The jumping off point for one of the most famous passages in history:



The sign says Puerto de Santa Maria.





May 12, 2021

  From Cadiz, we did an overnighter to Portimao, the Algarves, Portugal. The passage was hell. It was gusting into the high 20s and the wind clocked from the north to the NW, to the SW. At times, we were slamming into the 2.5 meter waves. We discovered that we had a leaking hatch. But it was worth it, the Algarves. Portugal = beautiful views, friendly people, and amazing food.




Next, it was time to round Cape St. Vincent and face the Portuguese trades. We had stressed about this part of the trip for months. We prepared for our date with the Nortada and unforgiving entrances to the Portuguese ports. Would we make one long tack way out into the Atlantic, or day sail along the coast? We decided we would break the trip up into two or three mini-passages. If we wanted to make it north, we didn't have time to day sail. However, we also heard horror stories about crews who opted for the offshore route limping back to port to lick their wounds.

The first leg was training for the second leg, as we only slammed into two meter waves, as opposed to three meter waves.




We encountered some crazy aggressive birds on the leg from Sagres to Sines.


After the second leg of slamming into three meter waves, we spent two nights in Cascais to rest. For the next leg, we planned two nights at sea to make it to Galicia, but turns out that we too would be limping back to port. After going far enough offshore to lay a tack to Vigo, check out what happened to our staysail halyard:



No, that sheave is not supposed to be hanging there.


Feeling defeated, we went straight into the nearest safe port. Luckily for us, we met Matt and Anna on Nomad, another 14.5 meter sailing yacht. When they're not cruising, Matt and Anna run a private luxury polar expedition yacht. Needless to say, they are very handy. They were nice enough to help us with our repair in Figueira da Foz. After a fun few days with them, we decided we had had enough of the leaking hatch and refused to go out to sea without rebedding it. Of course, we ripped away some of our beautiful new paint the in the process...


Once that was done, we were ready to go straight to Galicia.
After a tough trip up the coast, we were more than ready for a few weeks of the good life.




May 28, 2021

 


The towns were adorable and historic. The food was amazing. The facilities were great and our new life raft and EasyRoll spools with Dyneema lines arrived safe and sound.




Combarro, a World Heritage Site, was one of our favorites.









Did we mention that the food was delicious?




We visited the most spectacular island park we'd never heard of.










June 15, 2021

Having relaxed for too long in the Rias Baixas, it was time to get underway and face the roughness of the Rias Altas. We rounded the famed Cape Finisterre and headed for Camarinas. Sure enough, the weather was relentless. For a week, we rode out storm out after storm. We took the time to plan our Bay of Biscay crossing, and decided to leave from A Coruna.



Lucky for us, we had a long period between the 3-meter swells going into A Coruna.





We checked out the Tower of Hercules, the oldest lighthouse known to humankind (1st century AD).





We also had fun meeting other cruisers (all but a few were headed south) and trading tips with them. Mostly Dutchies and Scandinavian, they were super knowledgeable and we plan on picking their brains further before we head further north next year.

We also did our usual checks.




AZ was looking spiffy from above. We go up the mast before every major passage.
 


June 25, 2021


For weeks, we had struggled to choose a weather window. It was finally time to cross the dreaded Bay of Biscay. After a day of gusts into the 30s, the second day brought hours of beautiful sailing, until the sea state turned to hell. The confused waves and short period made Da Admiral seasick. Then we had a toilet "incident" and, finally, on the last day, the wind died. The toilet incident was the last straw. Instead of floating north at 2 knots, we turned on the engine for the last part of the passage.

So, despite the rainy weather, we were happy to enjoy the Brest area for a week. (Except for the 50-knot storm that had us pinned against the dock at the Moulin Blanc--thank goodness we went overkill on the fenders!) De Captain's parents came to visit while we waited for our new carbon spinnaker pole to arrive. We were super stoked to be reunited after almost two years of pandemic separation.

Another big highlight was meeting the Le Ru family.
20 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Le Ru had AmzerZo custom designed and built for their circumnavigation, which they wrote a book about.
It was an absolute honor to meet them and to show them their beloved AmzerZo after so many years.




We were still getting used to the huge tidal differences. We barely judged it correctly in this river anchorage.





We came across a house named AmzerZo and felt honored to have brought AZ home after so many years and a sail around the world.







July 10, 2021


On to Cornwall! We traversed the famously treacherous Chenal du Four at 10 knots, then frog hopped around big ships across the English Channel. We were very glad we installed an AIS receiver for the Channel crossing.




In Falmouth Harbour, we quarantined on a mooring ball for a week.







Of course, we went WILD once allowed on shore.
We even went on a shampoo shopping spree at the world famous Trago Mills!


  

  






July 20, 2021


We decided to stop in the Isles of Scilly aka Magical Wonderland before heading up the Irish Sea to Scotland. The photos say it all.









 













July 22, 2021

With a big front coming in, we had to cut short our stay. We did a quick prep for the 2-night passage up the Irish Sea toward Scotland.
Exact destination unknown. We left St. Helen's pool at 14:45. About 10 miles north of the Scillys, we saw a humpback whale breach multiple times. It was literally breathtaking. With the tide with us, it was a spectacular ride at 9.3 knots. We were on a beam reach, the seas were flat, and life was good.
Unfortunately, on the last night, we had another toilet incident. The new, expensive toilet was proving to be nothing but trouble.
En route we found a good spot to tour Ireland and Belfast, so we pulled into Bangor.

Belfast was intriguing.


  

  




As was the Giant's Causeway.







July 30, 2021

  It was finally time to set off for Scotland. We untied the lines at 4am to leave with the tide. We had been studying the crazy tidal situation in Scotland, and learned about eddies, rages and races--oh my! (The word for rages is "overhangs" in these parts.
But we prefer to stick to the Bahamian terminology.)

After a stop in Campbeltown, we headed to Holy Island, home to a colony of Buddhist monks. We were excited to get our first glimpse of the highlands. We went on our first of many hikes to come, and celebrated that evening with a bottle of champagne.







After visiting the beautiful West Kyle, we headed for Rothesay and had the pleasure of meeting the grumpy harbor master. The town has seen better days, but it was cool to visit the Stewart Castle and meet the absolutely lovely locals (grumpy harbormaster excluded).






The warmest locals ever. And we loved the local dialect. Check out the sign!





  August 4, 2021


From Rothesay, we headed to Kip Marina, our base for a land trip to Glasgow and Edinburgh, since neither have marinas or anchorages with suitable depths. Once again, the locals were lovely. The grand old cities of Scotland were a highlight. We enjoyed our time in civilization, as we knew we would be spending most of the rest of the cruise in beautiful isolation.



The Scottish have a great sense of humor.



  

  





Historic Edinburgh was beautiful and mysterious.



After our city trip, we said farewell to our friends at Kip Marina and enjoyed beautiful Kilchatten Bay (Isle of Bute) for a night.
Then, we positioned ourselves in the Campbeltown anchorage.




August 9, 2021

 
We weighed anchor at 11:00 to round the Mull of Kintyre with the tide. Although the weather was settled (10 knots of wind from the west), we still found ourselves in a mini-rage. Since it was harmless, we whoo-doggied and yee-hawed our way through, while noting it would not be as fun in a smaller boat. We couldn't imagine traversing those waters in even a fresh breeze or meter-high waves.

We anchored in beautiful Ardminish Bay (Isla of Gigha), which almost resembled the Bahamas.
We checked out the island and enjoyed a meal onshore.

Expecting a big blow from the south, it was time to face one of the biggest tidal races in Scotland. We hit 12.2 knots!
Just a couple miles to the west was the infamous Corryvreckan whirpool!
 



We anchored in the tricky South Cuan anchorage, off the Isle of Luing. We were proud to successfully avoid rocks on all sides and an enormous whirlpool to port. Navigation in Scotland is anything but straightforward, and you have to plan absolutely every departure and arrival. And watch the weather carefully.

We learned that an even bigger blow was headed our way, so we decided to head for the shelter of Oban Marina, off the Isle of Kerrera. It was a good opportunity to get off the boat and do some hiking. It took all day to circumnavigate the island, but the scenery did not disappoint.



Typical to Scotland, the weather changed about three times per hour.






We had to pinch ourselves each time we visited a Scottish castle.







We expected the Druids to appear at any minute.





At the end of the hike, we were rewarded with a great view of Oban.






 Of course, it was also a good opportunity to visit the Oban Distillery. We scheduled a tasting.






August 14, 2021

In Oban, we were told that the most spectacular scenery began just around the corner. With much anticipation, we made the short trip to Loch na Droma Buidhe. It did not disappoint. As we had learned elsewhere during our cruising, the gorgeous mountains do make for shifty winds. A seal in the anchorage made for an extra special evening.



After that, we made for Loch Moidart. Once again, the winds were shifty, between 8 and 18 knots from the west and north quadrants. The entrance really tested our rock hopping abilities. Seals eyed us from the rocks as we nervously maneuvered around them. Once in, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of a Macdonald castle.
We anchored just across, in front of what we joked must have been the beautiful and modern Macdonald clan homestead.





From Moidart, we made a quick stop in Isleornsay, searching for the Internets. With a need to stay connected for the next few days, we coast hugged along the beautiful Isle of Skye, oohing and aahing at every waterfall. We also marveled at all the eddies and mini whirlpools. We stopped at Kyle of Lochlash and cute Portree. We tacked almost all the way to the Portree entrance. The sail was challenging but spectacular.




So were the views from the Portree anchorage.






 
Feeling adventurous, from Portree we rode our bikes the 7 miles to the Old Man of Storr. Of course, it was no problem for De Captain, a Dutchie who was practically born on a bike. The uphill climbs really tested Da Admiral. But as we turned the corner to take in the first of the breathtaking views, all her pain subsided.












August 21, 2021

We left Portree at 10:30. Finding no room to anchor in Rona, we decided to make for Loch Torridon.
The fog made for low visibility, so we anchored in the outer loch with plans to head further inside the next day.






Say hello to Loch Torridon. Three nights were hardly enough.

The next day brought beautiful summer weather. The mountains looked spectacular and we could see the outer Hebrides from the anchorage.

After Torridon, we made for Duntulm Bay, our jumping off point for the Outer Hebrides.
We were rewarded with a sublime sunset over the mountains of the Outer Hebrides.





The next day we made good use of the last of the Internets and explored the anchorage.
We searched for the seal we had seen the evening before. He was nowhere to be found.








We did find some interesting birds that created interesting art. Unfortunately no puffins, though. We read they had already gone out to sea.



  
August 25, 2021


We had a pleasant crossing of the Little Minch. It was cloudy and there was some fog, but we were reaching in 10-15 knots of wind.
We arrived in Urgha Bay, Isle of Harris, to lots of cuteness, as the anchorage was teeming with seals.






The next day we hopped over to Tarbert so we could take the bus to see the Calanais Stones. We were at 57.89 degrees north--the highest latitude of the trip, and of our sailing careers thus far. We had wanted to sail to the west coast, but time and weather did not allow for it.

The Calanais stones were erected 5,000 years ago and did not disappoint. We were surprised how few people were there.





We also met some shaggy cows along the way.



On the bus ride back, there were spectacular views at every turn.  There were also some cute sheep in the road.




Next stop was Loch Maddy, in North Uist. It was a beautiful, sunny day at the Tarbert dock. But a few miles out, a thick fog set in. We couldn't see a boat length away. Thank goodness we have radar and an AIS receiver. Even then, when a huge work boat got too close for comfort, De Captain did a 180 to let him go by. The work boat captain reassured us on the radio that he saw us on radar. Good to know.

After Loch Maddy, we headed for the Kettle Pool in Loch Skipport, South Uist. We were set to enjoy the solitude of Lock Skipport and the view of Mount Hecla. The anchorage was unbelievably protected. Unfortunately, it was ruined by biting midges that held us hostage inside the boat. Luckily, Hecla revealed herself in the morning before we set off for Loch Scavaig.



August 29, 2021

We flew back across the Little Minch to Loch Scavaig. It was a fantastically beautiful day, with plenty of sunshine and a 16-19 knot breeze from the northeast. Of course, once we reached the Isle of Skye coast, the mountains started doing flukey things to the wind.




The anchorage at Loch Scavaig is supposed to be one of the most spectacular in Europe.

 






The locals were adorable. Most of them dove for cover as we paddled up. But a good number of them were curious enough to stick around. And some were just plain lazy.

No, the mountains are not on fire. That's the sun setting over the misty mountains.


The next day, we said farewell to Loch Scavaig and headed for the Isle of Muck. It was another gloriously sunny day and we flew the Beast. We opted for the Port Mor (south) anchorage due to the swell direction. Unfortunately huge ship moorings have now taken up most of the anchorage, so it took us over an hour to find the right spot to drop the hook. Needless to say, we were eager to set off for Tobermory the next morning.

  Another sublime, sunny, and warm summer day for our hop to Tobermory. We flew the Beast yet again and anchored far out in very deep water, as the "anchorage" has now been littered with mooring balls. Tobermory was super cute. We did the rounds and hung at a local pub.







September 1, 2021


As we left Tobermory, De Captain officially declared it "aftersummer." There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was the warmest day since Falmouth. Adding to the excitement was the prospect of transiting the Caledonia Canal. Had we gone around the top of Scotland, the distance would have been the same, but since we had plans to go further north next year, we decided to check it off the bucket list now.

For days we had been wondering which of the mountain peaks was Ben Nevis.
As we approached the anchorage opposite the Caledonia Canal entrance, we knew we had the giant in sight.

Our first day in the canal went smoothly. There were gorgeous views around every turn, and Ben Nevis looked as majestic as ever.
We got a kick out of seeing AZ, a stout seagoing vessel, in the middle of what are essentially high mountain lakes.





A real highlight came when we shared one of the lock transits with another stout, seagoing aluminum sailing vessel. Henry is a beautiful Van de Stadt. We spent the next week buddy boating with Henry and his crew, Peter, Wendy, Will and Pete. (And trying to keep up--Henry is super fast!) We had a blast sharing sea stories and learning from the very experienced crew. Even the two youngest crew members are professional captains: one of a scientific polar expedition vessel and the other of a huge seagoing passenger ship.



One of many nights of sundowners with the crew of Henry.


The canal was full of cute and cool places to stop. There was even an old Dutch barge turned bar-restaurant. Fort Augustus was full of sights, including our first-ever look at Loch Ness. We tasted the smoothest, most delicious Scotch whiskey ever at the Bothy.







The next morning, we waited for the wind to fill in. We got just enough to fly the Beast. As usual, the winds were flukey so we had to jibe our way down the loch. It made for very slow sailing.
That eve, we anchored in front of Urquhart Castle and had Henry's crew over for cocktails and conversation.





In Inverness, we pulled into the Seaport Marina, explored the town, and said goodbye to our new friends. We spent a lot of time preparing and planning for our North Sea crossing to the Netherlands. Da Admiral went up the mast and we cooked plenty of meals, since the sea state forecast wasn't looking good. We went through the sea locks and positioned ourselves at the Inverness Marina the night before the crossing. The wet weather had returned.


September 10, 2021

We untied the lines at 6:00. It was foggy, wet and there wasn't a lot of wind. But we knew it would fill in later. There were lots of seals in the water and we saw a Minke whale later that afternoon. Unfortunately, but for a couple hours' break, the fog did not lift and the wind didn't fill in until the next morning. The most eventful thing to happen was our crossing back into the eastern longitudes. We also gawked at all the oil platforms. Then a friendly bird stopped to rest on our instruments behind the pare-brise.



Of course, once the skies cleared, the awful sea state set in. It was rolly hell. The North Sea is an extremely shallow sea, and thus notorious for its terrible sea state. Needless to say, we were thrilled to pull into Den Helder at 10:00 am on the 13th.



We spent the next few weeks touring the Ijsselmeer and visiting with family and friends. We hit all of the favorites, such as Medemblik, Stavoren, Hindeloopen and Enkhuizen. We also got to tour the Vinson of Antarctica in Makkum. The glorious aftersummer weather kept gracing us.






October 2, 2021

We ended the voyage in Makkum and prepped the boat for winter work and storage. Having had a full exterior refit in France, AZ will be undergoing a bit of interior work and some minor upgrades at KM this winter. Stay tuned to our refits page for details. Tot ziens!