Feb 142023
 
Jura

We’ve been doing some sailing, unfortunately not updating the web site as much as we should, but here goes, our latest news! We crossed from the Azores to Ireland in June/July of 2022 and spent the summer and fall cruising Ireland and Scotland! Lots of details in the videos I’ll list below, please like and subscribe ! All the best sailing for everyone in the coming season, hope to meet up with you along the way, Mike & Jayne Cobourg, Ontario February 2023

Loon’s Lace our Najad 405 is at Kerrera Marina since October of 2022, a lovely setting just across the bay from Oban, in the Scottish West Highlands, we are home in Ontario, saving our UK tourist visas so we will have lots of time to get sailing in the spring/summer of 2023. As Canadians we are allowed 180 days out of 360, we used about 60 days in the fall of 2022 so that should leave us lots of time to sail from Kerrera/Oban to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland, from Shetland we plan to cross to Norway and spend the rest of our 2023 summer season cruising Scandinavia. The plan at the moment is to overwinter in South England for 2023/2024 of then start sailing towards Spain, Portugal, Madeira and the Canaries, from there we plan to cross to St Vincent in the Caribbean. Maybe home to the Great Lakes from there or perhaps Panama and wind up out in Vancouver, that’s been a long term dream for both of us!

Right now we’re busy packing, flights are booked and we’ll be in Edinburgh on March 26, spend a few days there in an Airbnb doing some touristy things then return to Oban by bus probably. We have an Airbnb booked in Oban for the first 2 weeks in April while we get Loon’ Lace ready to launch, and will probably be in that immediate area for at least a month until the weather gets a wee bit better. Lots of little things to do on the boat, Jayne has a new “Boat” sewing machine and will update our “Watchkeeper” shelter while I clean and wax the hull, touch up the bottom paint and tinker with the Solar panels & batteries etc.

As I mentioned we have 5 new videos on our YouTube site, hopefully they’re not too bad, we worked a lot at getting some good footage and correcting as much as possible with edits here at our home studio. I’ll list them from new to less new, here they are:

Sailing Scotland’s West Highlands EPISODE 14

From Ballymastocker Bay on Lough Swilly in the Republic of Ireland Jayne & Mike prepare to round Malin Head and cross the Irish Sea to Scotland. Cruising the Scottish west highlands into the fall they explore, Islay, Jura, Crinan, Mull and Oban and then find a home for Loons Lace at Kerrera Marina, where they make ready to haulout for the season.

Sailing Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Part 3 EPISODE 13

Sailing east from Killybegs on Donegal Bay we take a mooring at Teelin Harbour then anchor at Arranmore Islands Rosillion Bay, from there its a short sail to Gola Roads with a view of fantastic Mt Errigal. Sailing north to Lough Swilly we avoid some poor weather then walk the sands of Ballymastocker Bay at Port Salon, sadly our last anchorage in Ireland, from here we set sail up and around Malin Head for the Highlands of Scotland.

Sailing Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Part 2 EPISODE 12

Just back to our boat after a road trip to Dublin we sail north from Galway Bay to wonderful Inishbofin where we hike, paint and photograph, then wrap a crab trap anchor around our prop on the way to Little Killary, forcing us to sail into anchor. Sailing north from Inishturk we round magnificent Achill Head to anchor at Inishkea. Relaxing in pastoral Broadhaven Bay we wait for good weather to sail up Donegal Bay.

Sailing Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Part 1 EPISODE 11

In Part 1 of Sailing Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way we’ve just arrived in the Republic of Ireland, having sailed 1300 miles from Praia da Vitoria in the Azores. With fine summer weather and fair winds we setout to discover some of Dingle’s secrets and then set sail for the Blasket Islands, Brandon Bay, Inishmore, Galway and Dublin.

Offshore Passage Azores to Ireland – EPISODE 10

A North Atlantic Crossing – Azores to Ireland In Part 3 of “Loons Lace Atlantic Circle” Mike & Jayne arrive in Praia da Vitoria Azores from where they set out on a 200 mile shakedown to Sao Miguel, for some site seeing, hiking and to enjoy Ponta Delgada, the Azores capital. With new crew member Matthew aboard and a favorable weather forecast the crew of three set out to sail 1100 miles across the North Atlantic to Dingle Ireland.

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