2026

We left Flensburg, slipped through the Kiel Canal and out into the North Sea, crossed the Skagerrak to Norway and worked our way up to Oslo through Oslofjord, then turned south again through the Swedish skerries and the Danish straits and back home to Flensburg — 1,106 nautical miles round trip. The North Sea gave us the full range: 2-metre waves and a top speed of 8.6 knots, but also a glorious run under spinnaker across the Skagerrak, where we flew the kite.

It was not without its dramas. We climed the mast once to fix VHF antenna, nursed the boat through five engine failures, got flashed by a cruise ship swinging in Oslo harbour, and even brought her alongside in Oslo with no engine at all. All told we logged 226 hours under sail, including 80 hours at night and 6 night-time harbour entrances. What a trip!

What a trip! We sailed a big loop around Brittany and the Channel Islands. We hopped between Atlantic islands and historic ports — Roscoff, Morlaix, Saint-Malo, Douarnenez and many more — squeezing in as many harbour entries and exits as we could and making the most of every tidal gate. There was plenty of night sailing, a fair bit of weather to work with, and endless opportunities to sharpen our navigation and boat handling. Best of all, the crew was brilliant on both legs — everyone was great, learned loads, and made the whole adventure so much fun.