Adventures at Sea

Sailing London to Chatham … and 2 Lessons On Going Aground

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My first sail of the year was my first ever delivery job. Taking a Bavaria 46’ from Limehouse, London to Chatham. A straight forward 50 nm sail you may think, alas you’d be wrong.

A gloomy early morning at Limehouse, London
A gloomy early morning at Limehouse, London

I joined the boat at Limehouse basin in central London, which in itself was a bizarre experience. I’ve never sailed in central London before, and am more used to coastal or offshore sailing, so hopping aboard amongst a sea of skyscrapers was quite an experience. Continue reading Sailing London to Chatham … and 2 Lessons On Going Aground →

Getting Fit For Sailing, The Clipper Race

6 Months Until I Race Across The Atlantic

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Christmas Day marked the start of the 6 month count down for me racing across the North Atlantic Ocean, on leg 8 of the Clipper Race.

Clipper Race Leg 8 Quick Stats: 3,350 Miles. 22 Days at Sea. 2 Races (NY to Derry/Derry to UK).

clipper_race_leg_8_sam_mcclements

So I decided that the 6 month mark, should be the start of really ramping up my fitness and focusing on my health and strength. I made my mind up a few weeks ago, that Christmas day would be a day of traditional indulgence, but that from the 26th December there would be no more!

“If you’re not fit enough, the boat will find you out”

Many people that have been on the race before, have said to me “if you’re not fit enough, the boat will find you out”. I have really let my fitness slide over the last 12 months, with so much going on in my life, and various stresses, I’ve not put my health first, and have been eating terribly, to say the least! So now it is time to focus and change that.

Continue reading 6 Months Until I Race Across The Atlantic →

Adventures at Sea

Mile building on the South East coast

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Having recently passed my Yachtmaster theory exams, my next step is to take my practical exam. I’m aiming for the offshore yachtmaster exam, for which candidates need to have logged 2,500 miles and a minimum of 5 x 60nm passages (skippering for at least 2 of these). As such I am trying to ‘build miles’. I need approximately 1,000 miles to reach my goal.

Continue reading Mile building on the South East coast →