Voyages of Thalmia – Sailing around Britain in 2020

This is Thalmia on her mooring at Starcross Yacht Club, River Exe, in April 2019. A Westerly Fulmar built in 1980 now based in the Exe estuary. 2019 was a good year with trips East to several creeks in the Solent including Keyhaven, Newtown, Wooton and Beaulieu and our usual summer cruise from Exeter to the Isles of Scilly, visiting many of the islands and enjoying a very relaxed sojourn in Green Bay on Bryher.

Soon it will be time for Thalmia to be lifted out onto Topsham Quay for storage over winter and preparations for our voyage next year. I have made many modifications over the last 3 winters since I bought her, and sailed her back from Hayling Island in November 2016. I think she is well set up for my most ambitious trip so far around the coast of Britain – but she will get more attention between now and launch date in April 2020. She will then be 40 years old and me – a mere 69! Also for me, over winter, there will be lots of reading of pilot books and passage planning at home.

A word about my wife – she is being very generous in letting me have these 3-4 months away sailing around our wonderful coastline. There was one condition – that I raise lots of money for the charity she gives so much of her time to. Rainbow Living supports adults with disabilities, mainly learning disability, by providing accommodation to enable tenants to live with their peers as independently as possible in supported living. There will soon be four Rainbow Houses in Devon, three in Exeter and one in Torquay. You can read more about the charity via the links at the head and the foot of the blog.

I shall be sailing mostly solo on this trip although I am hoping to have some company on at least a couple of short stages. The idea is both exciting and daunting in equal measure. Managing the boat and managing myself will be quite a challenge. Keeping in touch with home and with others via this blog will be an important part of making it work! Knowing that the charity will be getting some additional funds will be an added bonus.

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Thank you for following Thalmia and myself on this voyage.