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4thOctober Hi Rocyn have a good safe sail back home from Caernarvon - let Mouette put those monsters to rest! Good luck Gerry Phillips 14thSeptember Dear Rocyn, I really do appreciate the use of language on your longer blogs.... you have such a gift for it! Hope your trip down the welsh coast goes OK before the Autumn gales start.. at least the wind should be a NE for a while! Best, Peter 6thSeptember Hi Rocyn, Sorry to see that you have had such a bad time with the weather and this has obviously ruined your plans. Hope that you will try again next year - time permitting of course. I'll come over to see you in Portishead one weekend when you get back and hear the full SP in person Regards and fair winds David 18th August Hi there! Have a wonderful trip Rhys and Rocyn. Thinking of you both and sending my love and best wishes...Lots of love and hugs, Susana 11th August Hi Hope your trip is going well. I sail an Achilles 24 called Amaryllis sail number 303 which I am sure you have seen a few pictures off on the sail numbers page of the Achilles web site. I am based on Bangor N Ireland and have been cruising in the Clyde over the last few seasons. If you are leaving the Clyde for the Irish coast the best route is normally to Depart Cambletown 2 hrs before LW Dover. This way you will be in slack water off Sanda. It is well worth keeping well clear of Petersons rock buoy as this ranges about with the tide so is not always mark the rock that accurately. As for were to sail to Glenarm has become a favourite in recent times and can be enter at any state of tide and is a very nice small marina and the fees should only be £7 per night. Keep an eye out for the Salmon nets in the bay about 1/2 mile north of the marina. From Glenarm its only 20 miles to Belfast Lough were you have Bangor and Carrick marinas. Also I have a free mooring in Groomsport harbour (3 miles west of Bangor)which would be welcome to use for a overnight stay. (Provided the harbour master was ok with this). If you are in Bangor or Belfast Lough and I can be of any help please feel free to give me a call on (number sent on privately) Andrew. 4th July Dear Rocyn Pleased to follow your progress in the weekly news-sheet! I came across this passage from a book entitled 'The slope of the wind' by Adrian Seligman: "Sea People are humble people at heart, like the ships themselves. For a sailing ship at sea is one of God's most patient, yet most steadfast and courageous creatures. So those who live with her, who watch her day by day, running bravely, lying becalmed for weeks or yieling with grace to the slope of the wind -these people learn from her in time." True? God speed (fast or slow!) Paul Denyer 30th June Dear Rocyn, Thanks for your reply to my message early June. As I said then I owned a Mouette Solitaire from about 1993 - 1997. I bought her from Chesterfield boat sales, where she looked very land bound and a bit miffed with her lot, but still very appealing. I had taken my Mum along for moral support, neither of us qualified on anything but an emotional basis for buying boats. Any way I sailed out of Barmouth, Wales for 2 seasons and then moved up to the NE with work. Then I sailed her out of Hartlepool. I think a friend of mine, Paul Barker has emailed you mentioning my longest voyage with Mouette;that was to the Orkneys. Enough about the past. I have just got back from holiday (not sailing as I have a 0ne year old and one on the way)to read all your updates. It sounds like you are having a brilliant time. Safe and happy sailing to you Mouette and all onboard. Bridget Jones 14th June Hi Rocyn Hope you are doing well? I've been updating myself on the trip err epic...seems fun. What a long way you must be barking! Hope you're enjoying it, the scenery looks great, I will keep an eye on the dates and perhaps come out and meet you when you get to Scarborough etc Keep rowing! Adrian Kitching 14th June Hello Rocyn. I have just read your article in Sailing Today and wanted to wish you well on your voyage. I knew a previous owner of La Mouette Solitaire who sailed her out of Hartlepool as far as the Orkneys'. I also used to own an Achilles 24 named Thetis based in Hartlepool with which I sailed far and wide (North of Scotland, Orkney, Shetland, culminating in a cruise to the Faroe Islands in 1993 - sailing back to Hartlepool non-stop). The Achilles never once let me down all the time I owned her and inspired a lot of confidence when the going got rough (which it did in the North Atlantic between Orkney and Faroe). You can sleep easy knowing you have and excellent sea boat which will look after you when you feel like giving up. Wishing you fair winds and good tides... Paul Barker (Hartlepool) 8th June Re:- Previous owner of Mouette Solitaire Amazing! Quite possible. Please tell more. Mouette seems to like Scotland, where did you take her? Rocyn 3rd June Curried beans and whisky for supper - what have the Scots done to deserve this sailing eco-incident? Lets hope the wind is all off-land! Annon 1st June Dear Rocyn, A friend rang me today after seeing a picture of Mouette Solitaire in 'Sailing today'. I used to own an Achilles 24 called Mouette Solitaire. She had the red sail cover and spray hood too. It must be her? I sold her through a broker at Hartlepool marina in 1997 (i think).Your voyage sounds wonderful.Happy safe sailing and say a big Hello to Mouette Solitaire from me. Yours Sincerely Bridget Jones 18th May Loving the wee updates! Checking them everyday. Can't wait to hear about the adventure in more detail. Thinking of you and sending my hugs, Love Susana 14th May Praying for you buddy Press on Love Andy Humm 4th May - Dear Rocyn Good to be able to read of your progress. We are all thinking of you and praying for you. Here's something I found, will probably add to the list of 'helpful' things people have shared. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of clouds of doubt. You never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far. So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit. It's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Go for it Rocyn, we know you can do it! James and Gareth say hi. Have a great day. Yours, Helen 3rd May - Hi there Roc-Star and Elly! I think your proposed journey is awesome!!...as is this wee updater...and the 'uniforms'! Great to hear you are underway. My thoughts are of you and with you both, Love Susana 1st May Dear Rocyn Our prayers (this morning at Warmley and Syston this evening) go with you. We hope it is a successful trip in all kinds of ways. God bless. Paul. Huw Gibby 5th April I wish you every success in sailing around the UK in an Achilles 24 from Portishead - the longest I spent aboard my Achilles 24 (598) "Canna" was 11 nights going from Portishead Cruising Club's mooring at Chapel Pill to Milford Haven & back for the 1991 Tall Ships Week - but be warned - with such low headroom, I started the trip 6ft tall & ended it a foot shorter with a back like Qusimodo!! However, I'm still daft enough to want to sail on an Achilles 24 again, so any crew vacancies for any legs of your trip? Huw (now have a 1/3 share in GK29 "Aquila" at Portishead Marina). Huw.gibby@btinternet.com