I know it has been a while, a long while but it looks like I may be afloat again next season – not full time but we have a boat again.

I’ve updated the site a little and given a quick synopsis of what I’ve been up to in my ‘About’ page.

No doubt I’ll add some posts about things that have happened over the last nearly 5 years.

For now I’ll tell you about the re-floating bit ….

On Sunday 1st September 2024 Neil and I took a boat trip from Princes Quay in Falmouth across the bay and up the Helford River. Not a long distance and under 4 hours but it was a light bulb moment for me.

The trip was advertised as “Enjoy a leisurely Sunday afternoon and cruise from the large flooded river valley (ria) in Falmouth Bay to its smaller twin with Heritage Adventures. 
Learn about their evolution through time and the wealth of archaeological sites and historical structures lining their shores and the open coast in between – from submerged forests, cliff castles, forts, ports and mines to quays, ‘hards’, ‘passages’ and a Frenchman’s Creek” with archaeologist, Jeanette Ratcliffe, and guest presenter, writer storyteller, Elizabeth Dale, The Cornish Bird.

Neil had booked us 2 tickets and although the sun wasn’t shining, it wasn’t raining and unlike the day before the swell wasn’t bad.

It was a really interesting trip, lots of information and stories but it was as we cruised up the Helford River that I turned to Neil and said “I can’t believe we never brought Gleda up here. Next season I want us definitely to have a boat. I want to be able to leave work on Friday afternoon, head to the boat, drop an anchor up river and not go back until Monday morning.” That was it – in my head we had to have a boat.

Apart from the Helford River boat trip, the passenger ferry from Falmouth to St Mawes and a couple of car ferries, I haven’t been on or in the water since we left Gleda with Michael and Andrea in April 2019. Returning readers may remember, I’m not a sailor and not fussed on going out sailing for sailings sake. Gleda was my home and a means of travel. The Helford River boat trip particularly appealed as it was on a boat with a bar.

We had already had a bit of a discussion earlier in the summer. Neil seemed ready to explore the idea of having a boat. Something which we could sleep in comfortably for a few nights, has a loo compartment and ocean capable to get to the Scillies or France.

The problem wasn’t just the purchase cost of the boat, we were never going to get a big expensive boat, more the right type of boat, which had to be Neils choice, but also the on-going costs of owning a boat. It’s a bit like owning a horse, The cost impact isn’t in the initial purchase but in the running costs. For us it isn’t vets bills, stabling and feed but winter storage, a summer mooring, crane costs – none of which are cheap. I also thought about all the things that had been left on Gleda that we would have to re-buy; not that I’m adverse to the shopping itself.

As far as I knew Neil wasn’t committed to the idea despite me constantly showing him what I considered suitable affordable boats on Marketplace. Turns out, what do I know. Early October Neil text me while I was at work to ask for my brothers phone number. I sent him it but then it took me a few days to remember to ask why. Neil said that he’d seen the right boat with a junk rig sail. The junk rig was important to Neil and he had been looking for it on a particular boat, a Newbridge Coromandel, of which there are not too many so aren’t often available.

Long story short (Neil might have expanded on this on his www.sailingsolmara.com) a 21ft Newbridge Coromandel arrived on a trailer in late October. Thanks to my brother, Gav for both collecting the trailer from Dorset and then meeting Neil in Taplow, Berkshire to collect the boat and tow it back to Cornwall. You star.

Initially, I was disappointed as before I went down to see her I’d said something about standing in the galley/berth and Neil had said that there wasn’t standing head room. However now having been on board, this isn’t going to be an issue for a weekender. For a live aboard boat I can see it being a pain.

Neil has blue jobs to sort out before sailing season next year and I’m tasked with the inside. First thing will be new berth seating which are also the beds. I know I can sew but I do not feel confident tackling the shapes required. Although that thought may change once I get some prices in.

Watch this space for updates, probably not just about the boat. I had started a draft blog post about 3 months ago thinking I’d like to start chatting again. It literally only had 2 lines saying that I was back and was going to start chatting again, but the draft was still there reminding me.

TTFN