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Author Archives: juliansmart
Skipper’s first whale
Despite numerous pilot whale sightings, countless dolphin escorts, ocean crossings and thousands of nautical miles at the helm, this year’s crossing from the continent to Corsica saw Skipper’s first whale, not to mention wind, wonderful wind that pushed us across … Continue reading
Posted in 2020 Corsica Sardinia
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“Anyone got any fuel?” (Cherbourg to l’Aber’wrach via Guernsey)
Pitstop in Guernsey to test crew’s sealegs and refuel before the long stretch motoring upwind to the NW tip of France. We were just one of a good dozen vessels who vainly tied up on St Peter Port’s fuel pontoon … Continue reading
Back on board (in familiar surroundings)
Stymied by a large, extended low that kept Skipper’s delivery crew in Cherbourg on the leg down from Amsterdam, we were reunited with Khujada 2 as a family on 3rd August. After Skipper’s birthday celebration ticked all his boxes … Continue reading
“Amsterdam to La Rochelle” becomes “Amsterdam to Cherbourg”
After several false dawns of poor weather forecasts putting paid to Skipper’s plans to deliver Khujada 2 down to La Rochelle ready for family holidays in August, feasible weather and crew availability were finally secured mid-July. Skipper & crew motored … Continue reading
Amsterdam
Edam topped off our fill on charming, old IJsselmeer trading towns and we had just enough time for our final leg to Amsterdam if we pushed – the wind was kind and our best sail of the week followed as … Continue reading
Back in time. Holland’s Golden Age.
Medemblik’s laidback charm was the perfect backdrop for us to explore windmills, dijks and other tourism tickboxes. From Medemblik we reached down to Enkhuizen under a hot sun. Enkhuizen was extraordinary. From our mooring just off the Zuiderzee Museum in … Continue reading
Heading south again.
After 9 months in Makkum for the small matter of a lick of paint Khujada 2 is underway once again and back on the IJsselmeer. Transit from Schiphol and celebrating our reunion was followed by 1) provisioning plus satisfyingly brief … Continue reading
Posted in 2017 Cruising the IJsselmeer, IJsselmeer, Makkum
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Respite in Amsterdam … then down the home straight
Arrival in Amsterdam Sixhaven and the sun pops out on occasion but our second day is just 16 degrees. In early August. As soon as a cloud blocks the sun you need another layer with the cold air mass and northwesterly air … Continue reading
Posted in 2016 Solent to IJsselmeer, Amsterdam, IJsselmeer, Makkum
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“Sorry about the weather!”
Spot Khujada 2? Berthed in Sixhaven, Amsterdam (taken from ferry over the canal to the city centre) “Welcome to Amsterdam … sorry about the weather.” The greeting of our neighbour on arrival in Sixhaven at ~1100 on Tuesday 9th August. Worthy … Continue reading
Posted in 2016 Solent to IJsselmeer, Amsterdam
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Oyster piles, blitzkrieging birds and bacterial ooze
(Oysters, not mussels!) Just as an aside, we’re fed up with (sea)gulls. Not the noise they make – although in both Dieppe and Boulogne (and countless other ports we’ve not visited in this last week) their screeching is invasive to … Continue reading
Posted in 2016 Solent to IJsselmeer, Nieuwpoort
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Khujada 2 