24/09/2025
Just wanted to thank everyone for your interest and especially those who joined us. Also to share, not just mine but also others considerable disappointment at not completing the voyage.
In 40 years of cruising, 20 in Shantih, I have not experienced, after almost 3 weeks of trying, being unable to sail south because of relentless strong, occasionally gale force SW winds. The expection was to arrive in Gibraltar by mid September not sheltering in Padstow!
Time constraints and the weather predictions across Biscay and along the Iberian Peninsula forced the decision to sail north back to Caernarfon. Too late to reverse that decision the winds then came from the North, almost never dropping below 6 to return with wind on the bow once again so slogging along on the engine 🙄!
Was the Universe calling .... nah I don't believe in that stuff, just very unprecedented conditions after hurricane Erin disrupted the weather patterns.
So we will plan to go south again next year and start earlier around end of June aiming with a 6 week window to cruise in fair weather, no pressure, no deadlines to arrive mid August somewhere along latitude N35° 🤞🌊🌬⛵️.