Finally home. 21st August

So we're home. I didn't have to get up this morning. I didn't care what the tide or the weather was doing. I was in my own bed. Work beckons. Pete's gone home and there's a bit of a feeling of anticlimax. Was it all worth it? Yes of course. It's been a mixed bag of experiences - good and bad, scary and exciting, fun and boring. Obviously the bad weather has played the biggest part in the whole thing. People asked "Why go anticlockwise?" to which I replied that it would be summer and there wouldn't be the prevailing winds of winter all the time, as we would have the usual summer high pressures meaning light and variable winds most of the time. Obviously I was proved wrong by the summer of 2007. Every day the weather charts looked like they would in winter, with a troop of depressions marching steadily in, one by one, across the Atlantic, giving us north wind as we went north and south wind as we went south. And when we had wind it wasn't the gentle zephyrs of summer but the raging storms and gales of winter with the associated rough seas and low temperatures. Now, every time I hear "rough to very rough" mentioned on the shipping forecast it makes my toes curl and my belly go tight as I now know how scary it can be.


Of course there were some good, even great, days sailing and a few when it didn't rain on us, but to my mind the ratio should have been the other way round. I expected a few challenging days, it goes with the territory, but never expected each day to end up being a fight against a bucking boat, strong winds, rain and cold.


It's been a very steep learning curve for me and for Pete. As I've said before, I never knew quite how much I would have to rely on my yachtmaster training. It all seemed so picky and un-necessary when day-sailing out of Fowey with little tide to have to worry about and lots of nice deep water, but a completely different matter when bucking a foul tide and wind to get into a shallow harbour before all the water disappears and hoping the latest entry time I worked out was accurate enough to prevent us going aground on a falling tide.


Another lesson well learned was on the subject of crewing. My original offer to take along all and sundry was based on my experiences of day sailing in good conditions out of Fowey and being able to take inexperienced friends for a day out. How different this becomes once the conditions get worse and I start needing a crew rather than passengers. This is in no way meant as any disrespect to the inexperienced guys who came along - it was great to have your company and I'm so chuffed so many got to share our wonderful experience, but there were times when I wished that either I had trained crew or I could send the novices below to get out of the weather and out of the way, but this usually wasn't an option due to being below bringing on seasickness. This would have lessened the stress on me a thousandfold. I hope that the rough conditions didn't scare anyone too much, or put them off future sailing. I hope you'll all understand that these thoughts come from a purely selfish and personal point of view. I find it difficult to express how much relief I felt when Jon and Graham were aboard as I knew that with them I had crew, apart from Pete, I could rely on if it got mucky. I had to take crewing strength into account when I made the two decisions to turn back - once in Scotland and once leaving Milford. With the prospect of a long, 100 mile plus, passage and bad weather, the last thing I needed was to be instructing a competent crew course in a rough force 6. My particular sympathy goes to the two Simons who only managed a long (but not without excitement) day with us before we had to abandon the crossing to Scilly and they went home. Especially my brother, who I know had been so looking forward to the last few legs back to Fowey and who had done so much to raise money for the RNLI. His was the single largest sum donated at £500! Well done Si and so sorry it was so short lived. We'll do something next year.


I feel I must say a few thank yous and mention a few people. This is in no particular order of merit so no squabbling!


The volunteer lifeboat crews and full timers around the country have been brilliant. We have been welcomed by them all and once they found out what we were doing fell over themselves to help. Be it with weather forecasts, local knowledge, use of the lifeboat-house showers and internet, or just a bit of a chat, they've been fantastic to a man. Well done guys and keep up the good work. Also thanks to Tamsin and Amy at RNLI Southwest for co-ordinating all the PR stuff for us and such a great homecoming.


The marina managers and harbour-masters along the way deserve a mention too. Those who gave us reduced or waived fees, bless you. Also to those harbour masters on the phone or radio providing a welcoming voice as we arrived at a new and strange harbour or talked us in, or even led us, through the shallows, you have no idea how much that boosted my confidence at moments when, after a long day at sea, I was faced with the final challenge of getting into a strange and foreign place with a stupidly deep, 6ft keel! (A word of advice - if you're thinking of sailing around Britain, do it in a shallow bilge keeler. It's a lot less stressy!)


A big thanks to those along the way who have shown great interest and hospitality. John Scott and his family in Tarbert who entertained us to a lovely meal, sorted out a reduced fee berth, lent charts and generally showed interest from the time of the conception of the trip. Nick and Dee Sawyer for their hospitality in Aberystwyth. Once again a waived fee, a lovely barby at home and general interest and organisation. And a welcome pack of Welsh goodies on our arrival. Nico, who made a special effort to come and see us in Brightlingsea, thanks go to you. And I have to mention (again) Mike "Why eye, bonny pet" Fellows for egging us on to drink too much and for his friendship and support both in Hartlepool and on the phone and internet. Not sure what the final score was but you definitely win mate. You have showed a couple of Malibu and shandy drinking southern poofs how it should be done. Big respect!


Special thanks to Mark, Debbie and Paul at Delta Sound for the crew shirts.


To the guys (and girl) who joined us for the trip. Thanks for putting up with me and providing laughs and companionship along the way.


To everyone who has made a donation however large or small. Thanks from me and the RNLI. I don't know the final tally but it's looking like about £6,500. Well done.


To my wife Sally. She has been a complete star in the lead up to and during the trip. She allowed me to desert her for 7 weeks while she was at home, or the remains of home after the builders started, being very pregnant and managing all the building and domestic stuff, all the while being the official weather forecaster and getter-of-things-together in my absence. All my love to you Sal and it's so good to be home.


And last, but by no means least, a huge big-up, thanks and respect to my (first) mate Pete. It has been a joy and privilege to have sailed with you for 7 weeks and to have shared so many new and sometimes scary experiences with someone who took it all in his stride and only complained when someone trod in the breakfast (again)! You took on the catering and stores side of things and did us proud. The stuff that came out of Chez Caskey in even the worst conditions was always fantastic and and really appreciated. A bacon and mushroom butty will never taste the same again. As crew you have improved beyond recognition and you will always be my first choice. Thank you for your good humour always and for backing me in some very tough decisions (like which pub we should go to).


Big thanks to Dave the Barman for keeping our thirsts quenched.


And finally a big thanks to you for reading my chunterings and showing interest in this harebrained venture.

What next? Who knows? Watch this space..............