Aleria's Adventures

Predict Wind fleet map for all the boats in the OCC Atlantic crossing group I was invited to speak at the IS Cruising Conference. The topic was to tell the tale of OCC's pandemic response effort. Gail had read about what we had done and thought it would be a good topic to cover as many of our IS members who come to this conference are offshore sailors. I had 20 minutes for the talk and 10 minutes for questions, so I didn't have a lot of space for something that consumed our lives for the best part of a year. I wish I could include the slides here, as it's a documentation of how we helped hundreds of people trying to survive a pandemic under very trying circumstances. When I finished, I asked Alex to add his thoughts about communications, which was valuable. Then I asked Vera to come up and talk about her perspective of having been in the Caribbean and being one of the families we assisted with their thinking. Walking them through options and giving them advance notice of br...

On Monday, Alex had to take his mom to Sligo for a cataract operation. So I had a whole day to myself. I've been bugging Alex to do something active for some time -- like go for a walk in the woods or on the beaches, but he's been wanting things like a burger in a pub or a bike ride. I want to stay away from people but enjoy the natural world around us. Not that I have to go far. It's right at the base of our driveway.  But Monday, I wanted to see different. I haven't been out and about for ages. Since February, I've only been to Westport, Newport and Castlebar (once). And only to the supermarkets and pharmacy. I needed a change.  So I got in Micky, my aging but fun Mini, and started down the road. Should I head over to Mulranny?  It was going to be windy and possibly a little wet. No, Mulranny might be a bit exposed to the SW. I would start with the Quay in Westport as I'd heard there were works underway. I could gauge how many people were out and decide on mor...

Kiwi Roa (Photo from Peter Smith’s website) On August 24, it was reported that Peter Smith's yacht Kiwi Roa was spotted entering the Northwest Passage around August 20 without the permission of the Canadian government. His contention was that the NW Passage is international waters and, therefore, not under Canada's jurisdiction. The Canadian government had earlier put vague restrictions on anyone attempting a passage. Though they stipulated that the right of innocent passage remained in effect, they had turned two yachts away after they had been given permission and had sailed long distances to get there.  New Zealander Peter Smith, boatbuilder and inventor of the Rocna anchor, has been sailing around the world on the custom-built 52-foot adventure vessel Kiwi Roa for 26 years. High latitudes have attracted him but the NW Passage has eluded him...until now. He had attempted last year but didn't make it as it was a bad year for ice. It appears that, in the year of the pande...

PredictWind Tracker with OCC Atlantic Crossing Fleet 22-07-2020 As the situation eases in the Atlantic with most cruisers having reached their destinations in Europe, America and the Caribbean, we find ourselves with a little more time on our hands. The Pacific fleet is in capable hands. So I'm wondering now what to take on next. I have to write up the pandemic response of OCC for the ICC Annual and the OCC Flying Fish. We're also going to write up the new PredictWind tracker software that we got to beta-test in the fleet. But what next after that?   There are more than 15M confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world. More than 4M and climbing fast in the States. Ireland is number 56 on the list with only 25,800 cases confirmed. But we are not launching Aleria this year. As the sole carers for Alex's mom, we cannot be away for even the three days it would take to bring her home from Kilrush. Pantaenius which has insured  Aleria since day 1 decided to jack up o...

Our local paper made quite the splash with an article about what Alex and I have been doing with OCC to help cruisers return home or to safe harbours. A page and a half in the Living section.  Here's a scan.  We're very pleased that our story could be told. Thanks to Mayo News and to Aine Ryan, lead reporter. 

I was interviewed yesterday by Fergal Keane Of the RTE radio programme Seascpaes about the OCC's efforts to help cruisers reach home or safe harbour.  My interview starts at about 18:50. Seascapes podcast On Seascapes tonight, Fergal Keane visits the popular Courtown beach, which disappeared in recent storms. Fergal meets Green Party MEP Grace O'Sullivan in Courtown. John Litchfield reports from France on the sad demise of the ship the Calypso, owned for nearly fifty years by the explorer & ecologist, Jacques Cousteau.  And Daria Blackwell of the Ocean Cruising Club tells how they are helping ocean going yachts reach their home ports during the pandemic.   http://www.oceancruisingclub.org https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21787462

Well shiver me timbers, a few days ago, Alex and I were named Sailors of the Month (International) for May 2020 by Afloat magazine in Ireland. We are so honoured to be recognised for helping cruisers around the world reach home or at least safe harbour during the pandemic. And this in a month when we haven't done any sailing at all. Gosh! Blush. And many thanks to Afloat and to all the volunteers who have made this effort even remotely possible. "Daria and Alex Blackwell of  Mayo Sailing Club  are highly-experienced ocean voyagers, and they’re Vice Commodore and Rear Commodore respectively of the Ocean Cruising Club, the global body which currently has hundreds of members’ boats currently on long cruises. During the  COVID-19 pandemic , many of these boats have been caught out on long passages not knowing what kind of reception they will get when they reach their destination. From their base on the shores of Clew Bay, Daria and Alex have been providing assistanc...

This article was originally written and published by me on the Ocean Cruising Club website. I am posting here as well just to keep from losing it.  Main Photo (c) Caroline Dobbs. The vessels departing from Antigua (left to right)   Nebula, Fathom   and   Balou , all UK registered and heading home. Pandemic in Paradise  Daria Blackwell  |    27/05/2020 As reports of Covid-19 outbreaks began to circulate, the OCC was monitoring the situation in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and IndoPacific regions. What could we do to assist stranded cruisers? Reports from China of a highly contagious novel coronavirus began circulating in January. But China was far away from most places in paradise. At first, tourism remained active and cruisers went about their business blissfully unaware of the mounting threat of a pandemic. As tourists flying in from severely affected European nations began to show signs of infection and coronavirus began to spread...

Busy, busy. busy times. An article that cited me was published in the Guardian yesterday. Written by Susan Smillie, it documents the plight of cruisers stuck in paradise. The BBC World News editors got wind of the article and asked me to do an interview with them in the morning, which I did at 7:20 am. Now anyone who knows me, knows I don't do mornings very well. But somehow I think I managed to do okay. They've posted the clip online and are sharing via social media. It's 3 minutes long and answers a few questions about what people are facing out there. This afternoon I did an interview with a reporter from Bermuda who is writing a story for publication tomorrow. I also answered a query from a woman wanting to do a documentary about the cruisers. And I forwarded a request for crews to film their voyages for an adventure movie being made about the subject. It's been an interesting couple of days.

Okay. I think I have it figured out now. Here's a good, practical summary that should clear up all of the ambiguity and rampant confusion about the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and Covid-19. The Rules (at least according to me in the Republic of Ireland): 1. Basically, if you're 70 or older you can't leave the house for any reason; but if you get sick, then you can. This is called cocooning. Wash your hands. 2. Under 70, you can only travel 2 km from home except if you need groceries or medicines or are caring for someone over 70, then you can travel as far as you need to. Wash your hands. 3. Stores are closed, except those that are open. 4. Morning hours in stores are reserved for older people, except you can't buy booze then so you have to go later or suffer. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarkets, but there are things missing when you go there, but not in the morning. Sometimes. How old is older? 5. Masks are useless, but all healt...

On April 3, I wrote on another blog that the world pandemic had just reached 1M documented infected with the novel coronavirus. Today, just 12 days later, the count has reached more than 2M confirmed and 127,000 deaths due to Covid-19. Thousands of cruisers are stranded, some in paradise, others in very remote places without access to supplies, unable to move on as borders everywhere remain closed. Such an unprecedented situation. 2km radius from our home There's an app that outlines the 2 km limit on distance we are permitted to transit at this time, other than going to the pharmacy or food shopping. We feel so fortunate to live on 10 acres on the sea. We are unable to launch Aleria which is the only major downside. But Alex spruced up Moytura and yesterday we got out on the Bay. Fortunately, the weather has been spectacular and we are out and about on the land every day. The garden is shaping up, the vegetable seeds have germinated. As one friend said, this year, sai...