Aleria's Adventures

New 8th edition released in 2019 Before I say anything about the book, I must shout out that it comes with a free one-year subscription to the full set of electronic charts for the region covered by the book. The RCCPF has released a new app for iPhone and Android for the display of their charts, and it's pretty interesting. This is a game-changer for an RCCPF pilot book that costs £45. The guide covers the region from Cabo Ortegal to Gibraltar and is the essential companion for yachts making passages from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean or onwards to the Canaries before an Atlantic crossing. It is also vital for yachts crossing the Atlantic from the Americas and a comprehensive cruising companion for anyone availing of the delightful cruising grounds found here. 'Atlantic Spain and Portugal' is the classic guide to this varied coast which includes the Rias of Galicia, the estuaries of the Douro and Tejo with Lisbon, the Algarve and the coast of Andalucia dow...

Periodically, a new term crops up in the sailing world. 'Digital nomad' is just such a term. Digital nomads are people who make a living working while travelling, and of course, sailing is the ideal way to become a digital nomad. These people don't wait until they retire. They rewire early and use their acquired skills to work while underway. Not a bad gig. I know quite a few cruisers who are working from their boats. Many barter traditional skills, like sailmaking and canvas work for anyone with a sewing machine. Some write magazine articles and books or sell their services in website development and systems support. But there's a new breed out there. Entrepreneurs who do distance consulting, accountants, bankers and others who provide their services to regular people - nonsailors that is. There are so many professions that are not dependant on face-to-face or onsite employment. The work can be done anywhere at any time. Some examples of these kinds of jobs are...

Craig Leweck of Scuttlebutt has once again provided  commentary  on youth participation in sailing. He says that sailing was broken when it became 'soccerized'.  I agree. He goes on to cite an article in the NY Times by Tom Farrey who decided to investigate how different countries approach youth sporting activities. What he found is that one country has managed to succeed in satisfying children's needs in sport. They have done it through a statement on the Children’s Rights in Sport . Essentially, it gives kids the right to decide how they want to take part. Until the age of 13, they can do as they please. After that time, those who decide to be competitive and have the ability are provided with advanced coaching. The approach supports the vision: “Joy of Sport for All.” Craig asks could this work for sailing?  I say, for certain. If we change the minds of parents and politicians. But in this political arena, I don' think it can happen in the States at this ...

Screen grab from Dr Bush's instructional video Exercising on a small boat can have its challenges. Do you find your life afloat too sedentary? Are you looking for a simple way to keep your body in shape? Here is a good one. Four minutes, three times per day. No equipment is necessary. Can be done anywhere in the space in which you stand. Could  this be the best onboard workout for cruisers?  Dr Zach Bush has created a 4-minute work out that done 3 times per day will help build muscle and keep joints functioning smoothly. It's based on the principle of nitric oxide release. He calls it High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). In less than 15 minutes per day in total, you will be promoting physical fitness and combating detrimental inflammatory processes. It's based on some well-known principles. Your muscles have a certain amount of energy stored. If you use up that energy, they'll release nitric oxide as a signal for your body to recuperate. Nitric oxide is fo...

Just as we thought it would be safer out there with AIS, picking up ships long before they were a threat on the high seas, a new type of go-fast boat has come on the scene. Dubbed narco-submarines, they are being used for drug smuggling from Colombia, Guatemala and Panama to Mexico. One was recently intercepted off the coast of Galicia, Spain - not sure where they came from. The trouble with these boats is that they are not visible on AIS or radar, hard to spot with the naked eye, and even resistant to detection by infrared. That's a problem for people transiting the same waters in sailboats. Granted there aren't that many of them out there, but...

It has been blowing and very gusty since yesterday evening. At times, the house shudders and the chimney howls. The pressure has been dropping all day and has now hit about 982 hPa. Looking out the window when the tide is higher than normal, with white seahorses of water charging across our inlet, thunder, hailstones and the occasional downpour make me fill with wonder - are these storms getting more violent and more frequent?  It certainly seems that way. Yet, the occasional burst of sunshine through it all makes it feel hopeful.  Once again, people north of us in Donegal and south of us in Kerry have no electricity, and we remain lucky. As the first named storm of the season sweeps in, the forecasters warned of severe weather with gusts over 130km/h expected to hit Kerry. We just have to spare a thought for those at sea and those exposed to the elements going out on rescue missions. Let's hope they are weathering it safely. 

The Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) has just announced grants for sailing clubs to institute programs that help young sailors transition from youth dinghy programs to adult racing. The scheme aimed at under-25s is intended to bridge the gap between junior programmes, which have good participation, and adult participation which is suffering from a serious fall off in numbers. An initial capital grant is intended to help clubs commit to purchase of a boat, followed by coaching, mentoring and other supports. It's based on a program underway at Howth Yacht Club which is reported to be getting good retention. I'd like to know more about that.

Messing about in boats Today's Scuttlebutt sailing newsletter has a Guest Commentary that rings true to me. For decades, I've been writing about this idea that we teach sailing the wrong way. Our sailing programs teach racing not sailing. We need a 'messing about in boats' program for all the kids who just want to have fun. I last wrote about it for Yachting World  in 2015 and it was picked up by  Scuttlebutt  in the US, Scuttlebutt Europe  and by the far-away  Phuket Race Week . I had started writing about it in the early 2000s on our website  and as editorials in local sailing publications. Participation in sailing was declining at multiple levels, but at the level of junior sailing, it was particularly noticeable and so very sad. It's nice to know that I wasn't off the mark and that others are now jumping on the bandwagon. Sorry for the jargon. Scuttlebutt has recently been encouraging readers to write in on the subject and they have been. Even U...

Peace Bridge over the River Foyle in Derry On Friday, the Northern contingent of the Irish Cruising Club held their Autumn lunch in Derry. I had not been to Derry and have wanted to visit for ages. This was a good excuse. We have a nice new car, the drive is only 3.5 hours, and the north beckoned before Brexit. So I booked a B&B just inside the old walled city near the Bishop's Gate. The restaurant, Brown's of Bonds Hill, was on the other side of the river. What we didn't know when we booked is that Alex was going to be in agony. His back, injured when he was a young man, took a turn for the worse while he was in Dublin for his long-range radio certification class. He couldn't walk any distance and could only be comfortable while seated. So being in the car was okay, sitting in the restaurant was okay. Walking was not. But it was all worth it. Derry was a remarkable experience for many reasons. The drive up was gorgeous - a sunny but crisp day with lots o...

We were back to Kinsale for the second weekend in a row, this time for the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) Irish Dinner. It coincided with the Cork/Kinsale Jazz Festival, so we made a long weekend of it. Nearly 70 members and guests arrived from all corners of Ireland, including as far off as Norway, France, England, Panama, and the US. Just about everyone had another reason for the visit and used it as an excuse to come to the dinner. The weather had been awful during the week, with torrential rainfall on some of the days. But it was promised to clear up for the weekend and, by golly, it did as told. We arrived in Kinsale and checked into our Airbnb at about 7 pm having been delayed by bank holiday traffic. The Trident was booked out early; it was fine, as we had stayed there the weekend before. Our Airbnb was right behind the yacht club so we couldn't be better located. I had reserved dinner at Cru which turned out to be as good as the Black Pig. We had two starters and split one...