THE DELIVERY OF SEAFIELD
WHITBY TO FIUMICINO , AUGUST 2003

 

 

We left Whitby on August 3rd 2003 with a crew of seven:
Dylan, Olivier,Anna, Simon, Ixone, Lee and Christophe, 2 of which had never been to sea before!

 

 

But luckily the weather was with us and we had a flat calm trip to our first stop in Poole. The only drawback was the fog passing in between the sandbanks and oil and gas rigs of the North Sea. Great fun!
Passing a lighthouse boat Young sailor

We arrived in Poole on Tuesday 5th of August, very happy with our first few days at sea on our new boat! ( The boat looks a bit strange bacuse it's a stitched photo...)

Leaving Poole

 

 

 

 



After a day in Poole, off for the next leg, across the Channel and the Bay of Biscay to Bayona. Once again, we were lucky with weather but the fog was still following us and most of the time our visibility was limited to under 1 mile....
We stopped on the Saturday night in a bay North of Bayona in order to arrive by day in Bayona. Anna had her first taste of swimming in the North Atlantic when she jumped in the water to rescue the spanish courtesy flag that the boys had dropped, thinking that the water would be warm at the beginning of August.... Not so!!!!!


We left for Bayona the next morning after our first night at anchor. The boys had their first taste of bringing up the anchor manually... Good exercise!

 

 

Seafield at the dock in Bayona in the great new Marina Deportivo that had opened a week before.

 

 

After great 4 days in Bayona, good wine and good food we set off for Gibraltar.
Sunset leaving Bayona

Yes, the fog followed us until we passed Lisbon!
Bath time with Ixone and daddy...

Reminds me of someone...
Dylan's favorite cartoon character,
Kirikou!!

We arrived in Gibraltar 3 days later. Had a 2 day break waiting for the Easterly wind to calm down and the set off for Menorca to see Brutus and family!

 

 

We were starting to really feel the heat so it was time for some modifications to the boat.
So out came the tools and Dylan and Olivier set to work to get some air into the boat.

 

 


It took 2 and a half days of sweltering heat to reach Menorca with a little stop off for a morning swim in Ibiza.


The best thing to do is sleep.....

And play.....

 

 

 

 

Everybody was really happy to arrive in Menorca!. The crew explored the island and we relaxed with the family and friends...
And a little work to do on board. But Dylan was definitely happy as he was back with his friend Brutus and he could do more than look at the sea, he could swim in it!!!!

We managed to have a great week in Menorca. As always, very difficult to leave the Magical Island.
But it was time to get closer to Rome...

Next stop was Sardinia. Got there just in time before it started blowing a hooley!

 

 

 

But if it means waking up to such a beautiful sunrise with Karenita behind us, no problem!........

 

 

 


The wind just kept blowing for 1 week with the weather forecast broadcasting "Bulletin Meteo Special" after "Bulletin Meteo Special"....
So this was the first time we were stuck by the weather. 130 miles from the final destination after having sailed nearly 2000 miles.........Murphy's law?....
Well it was the Porto Cervo Classic Week after all, so we thought we'd make the most of our plight and go and say hi to some friends and see some beautiful boats.

And that was our last stop before arriving in Fiumicino on the 5th of September just in time to head off to Belgium for our friend's wedding the next day. Wow!!!!! We really had a great time and Dylan still asks for "vroom-vroom" when we go aboard (she is a bit noisy...). So thanks to all those who helped us and gave us their hospitality during the trip.