Nearly on our way back

Orion is currently on the hard awaiting new anodes and just generally checking over her hull which looks good. The coppercoat has done its job and we are free of growth which is heartening. It has been along time coming but I think that we are nearly ready to go back to the sun!
Orion has been in Liverpool for 20 months and you tend to forget how much work we have done since our arrival.

• replace all the roof linings
• refurbish both heads
• fit new solar panels
• fit wind generator
• re design and upgrade the chart table
• Fit new radar/AIS
• Refurbish the stern cabin
• new sail bags

Just a few more purchases to be made such as new life raft, a sea anchor and a new dinghy... but they should be sorted before the end of May

We have made a rough itinerary for anyone interested in crewing but this is just as far as Gib

 

Leave Liverpool 30^th May (HT 10.00 local time)

Liverpool to Arklow via Holyhead ( approx 140 mls)

Leave Arklow Wed 1st June (HT 09.00 local time)

Arklow to Kilmore Quay (60 miles approx)

Leave Kilmore Quay Friday June 3rd

Will travel along the Southern Irish Coast stopping at various ports

Aiming to be in Baltimore by the 9th June

Leave Baltimore for Porto Sin ( South of La Corunna Spain ) - 550 miles approx 5 days

Leave Porto Sin 19th June

Down coast of Spain / Portugal – 340 miles to Cape St. Vincent

Possible stops on the way at either Nazare or Peniche

Arrive Lagos 24^th June

3 days stop off in Lagos - leave 27^th June

Onward to Gibraltar via Faro and Cadiz possibly Morrocco

Arrive Gibraltar 4^th July LEG 2 Gib to Greece to follow.

I have now resolved that I am going to update this page and our new Facebook page on a regular basis

Sailing into Liverpool

After a very long trip around Ireland where the weather was truly awful ...wind, rain and we were even boarded by customs!!!.. we finally sailed into Liverpool after an eventful trip from Arklow on Saturday 3rd September. We were lucky not to have been run down by a container ship the Coastal Denise just off the coast of Angelsey early on Saturday morning. The ship changed course having followed us safely for a couple of hours. George and I were on watch and we both could not believe it! We were forced to turn hard to starboard to avoid being mowed down and thanks to the wonders of AIS we were able to find out the name of the ship and with the help of the Liverpool coastguard elicit an apology from the ship. The guy on watch claimed he saw our green light but he could only have seen that after he had passed us and we all agreed that it was highly unlikely that anyone even knew we were there despite me shining our strong flash light up into the bridge and onto our sails as the ship got closer and closer! Still no harm done and we live to sail another sea! Orion is now safely moored in Liverpool Marina while we continue to work on her and we are looking to head back down to the Med next year.

Finally on our way!

We are now back from our adventure getting the boat back from Lagos to Liverpool Marina. It has taken me a long time to get around to putting this on the net but finally I decided to get my finger out and get it done!! It wa a good trip from Portugal to the Azores ... lots of dolphins, a turtle and even a whale! John tried to get some work done with his sextant which sometimes he was more successful with than others! The weather was on the whole kind to us on the first leg of the rip though the first ten hours or so out from Cape St. Vincent were a bit choppy causing us all to feel a bit queasy but we all stuck it out even Paul who was really quite poorly again. However give him his due he never complained once and just stuck it out down below with his bucket til his body got used to the rockin and rollin! He must have felt better because on Johns 61st birthday he made a tuna bake all his own recipe and really tasty it was too! We arrived at Ponta Delgado 5 days or so before we had anticipated. A really nice place ... good value and a very friendly place. We took time out to hire a car and see more of the place and Paul decided to live a little dangerously hiring a Quad bike. Quadman as he was known as from therein on followed us up the volcano. It was a good day.