Raffee is a Rival 34, a boat designed for crossing the Atlantic and such things.
The picture was taken at Tobermory, on the Scottish island of Mull. I've done most of my sailing in this area, basing Raffee at Oban, the 'capital' of the Western Isles. where I own a mooring. Email me if you want to use it; it's often free.
She's based in Penarth Marina, in the Bristol Channel.
This picture is of Watchet marina on the North Somerset coast.: taken by Jeffrey Bradford. Raffee is hiding on the extreme right hand side
Probably the most demanding and exciting trip Raffee has done in my time is the journey from Cardiff Bay round the west of Ireland and eventually into Oban, passing through Cork, Castletown Berehaven, Baltimore, Dingle, Sheep's Haven, and Islay.
Most of the journey we did two-handed with some assistance from Gareth Daw from Cardiff to Cork. Here's an avi file of Raffee in 30kts of wind. unusually the sun is shining. Clearly shome mishtake...
Me wondering where the helmsman's gone.
Places
Scotland
The west coast of Scotland is possibly the finest cruising area in Europe. The sailing is hard, make no mistake; if you get caught out here you could lose your boat and maybe your life. But the benefits are huge - wild beaches, beautiful sands, ancient castles, working fishing villages..
"Hell is other people" says JP Sartre. I think hell is other people's children, but these seem OK.
In one day you can leave Tobermory and sail via the remote island of Eigg to Mallaig, thereby passing from a tourist town to a remote family community rarely visited to a bustling, fishing town with all the facilities you want. You sail seas passed over by the vikings and follow the routes of the Lord of the Isles as his galleys, like today's aircraft carriers, projected power into the political crisis situations of the time. These are the seas which provided support for Robert the Bruce in his quest for Scotland's independence and for Bonny Prince Charlie as he tried vainly to spring Scotland away from the Protestant crown.
Two years ago we sailed from Oban round the Ross of Mull, into Tinker's Hole and then to Staffa.
You can see Fingal's Cave in the photograph, the natural concert hall to which Mendelssohn dedicated his Hebridean Overture. You can land on Staffa (which c name comes from the Norse for plank or stave) and spend an hour or two on this remarkable geological feature. It is connected geologically to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
This Season
This year Raffee turned left out of the Bristol Channel instead of right. We went south to Scilly, then to Falmouth where we left the boat ready for a three week trip to Brittany. Then disaster struck; Bill had bad news from his doctor and couldn't come, so Raffee spent three weeks going i and out of the fantastic harbours of the South West of England, a place I don't know. We had a good time; it wasn't Brittany but Falmouth, Fowey, Brixham, Newlyn, St Peter Port, St Hugh 's.... all great. A good season.
Highlights? St Antony's Scilly, The Cove, going aground near Tresco, blowing the main at 0100 off Guernsey and not being worried, generally being more confdent amnd self-assured. Crossing Cardiff Bay... how different that could have worked out.
Raffee's tucked up in Southampton now, down the road, ready for a winter of hard work getting her easier to sail and repainted and generally made more reliable.
And next season? Who knows - The Baltic? Northern Spain? Norway? Probably Brittany.
Weather
Here are some useful weather sites for sailing around UK and sometimes further afield.
http://uk.weather.com/index.html
http://www.ybw.com/weather/home.html
http://www.greatweather.co.uk/
http://www.maalla.co.uk/uk-weather/