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Whoops, was THAT supposed to happen?? Chinook high and dry on Sandy Haven Beach We have done something terrifying.  Something that most sane yachtsmen take great care to avoid ever doing ... or even be accused of doing. We grounded Chinook  and ended up sitting high and dry on a sandbank in an estuary - deliberately! Part of our maintenance schedule requires we inspect some parts of Chinook that are below the waterline - hull and propellor anodes - and with the water temperature hovering around way-too-cold, coupled with the fact that this marvellous sailboat is designed to be able to dry out, so we decided to give it a go!   We didn't just run her up on any random beach, there as a little more fussing, planning and worrying involved!  Sandy Haven was recommended with its big tide, flat estuary and sandy beach. We studied the tides and the weather.  We needed a calm day that coincided with a daytime low tide.  Fortunately, this unicorn made...

After a long passage, sometimes we need to fuel up and concentrate on something that ISN'T life-or-death related. "So, you two have been tied up in Milford Marina for weeks now.  You have gone on a few day trips, but what do you all day?" Staying in Milford Haven through the winter has allowed us to get the boat organised.  When we first moved aboard last March, we threw things into lockers so we could get out sailing with the Garcia staff.  Not a lot of rhyme or reason to where things were put - we poked spares in with bedding, jammed clothes into drawers and under bed lockers, popped plates and cups behind the sink without consideration for how practical these locations would be.   When we left the boat on the hardstand to sail the North West Passage, Garcia were doing some warranty work.  So we packed all our belongings into lockers that allowed them to access the areas they needed to.  Then (sigh), once back, Garcia wanted to take us sailin...

Thanks to Storm Éowyn, flights and trains were cancelled and hire cars became impossible to come by.  We were stuck in London for another day!  (One thing we do struggle with is the lack of sympathy from our friends!) The Tower Bridge, not to be mistaken for the very pedestrian London Bridge. A wander along the Thames to check out the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge was in order.  Neither of us had been there for more decades than we care to admit and oh my, how it has changed!  Booking is now required to visit The Tower and you are given a time slot with strict instructions that if you are late, you may be denied entry. The ticket pricing is some hefty, particularly considering they recommend a mere two hours for your visit.  Kate back in 1989 - gotta love those shoulder pads!  Under glorious blue skies, we opted to walk along the Thames, cross the Tower Bridge and check out St Katharine Docks - a marina snugged up under the Tower Bri...

On our way back to Wales, a visit to the Prime Meridian in Greenwich was a must do considering our current reliance on latitudes and longitudes.  We had an awesome day.  We played the ultimate tourists and straddled the Prime Meridian, a foot in each hemisphere.  We are actually yet to sail across it but will do this summer as we cross the top of Scotland. The must have photo - one foot in the Western hemisphere and the other in the Eastern. And of course, waltzing across the hemispheres! We ate lunch is a snug pub with a fire place and all the charm of its multi-century history. We passed on the eels but tucked into the warming soup and a sandwich, washed down with a local ale of course. Eels - yeah, skipped that one! History upon history upon history... The Cutty Sark has been fully restored since the last time either of us visited. She is now in a glassed-over dry dock with a magnificent space under its keel.  They have done a fabulous job. ...