#gosport #englishchannel #portsmouth #selseybill #brighton It sounded like an excellent idea—to escape the hedonist, soul-dampening boundaries of the marina. And it was. The forecast promised a variable 2 to 4 It was one of those days… when I was just as undecided about my course as the weather was about its own. After about an hour under sail, things began to clear. The wind freshened, steady and kind. And for a time—it was joy. The variety of weather I’ve encountered this day was nothing short of spectacular — like a week, or even a month of impulses, all compressed into a single day. Passing Selsey Bill on the outer route in over 20 knots of wind was a first for me — one I won’t forget. After rounding the cape, I shook out the reefs in a perfect breeze, reaching smoothly toward Portsmouth as darkness settled. The city lights rose from the sea — a chain of ships, a quiet hope that we preserve what we treasure. #sailingadventure #sailinglife #ukweather #gearfailure #sailingvlog #strongwinds #boatlife #badweather #lifeatsea #sailinguk #stormchasing #oceanadventure

The storm built fast behind us—flashing, gaining. We tried to run, altered course, but it kept closing in. Within an hour, it was all around. My bad — there was an amber warning. The honey trap was that heading south in a perfect breeze, 35–40° apparent, felt amazing. The sky didn’t look bad, and I thought it would be nice to return after sunset, pass the city, and see its lights in the dark. Then I saw a column of dark, hazy blue air and turned back immediately — 4.5 nm south of Beachy Head. But it developed quickly into a flashing cumulonimbus. The thunder looked like it was closing in. In fact, it spread all along the starboard side, not far from us. I was busy praying. We sailed for two hours back to the marina, and our surroundings stayed okay. When we reached the lagoon, the flashing was above us. #SoloSailing #NightStorm #EnglishChannel #StormChase #SailingAdventure #SeaEscape #AloneAtSea #Thunderstorm #SailingLife #OceanChallenge

Once out of the sheltered marina, a surprising strong breeze hit us. What an awesome upwind climb, made easy by that great heavy jib and the excellent Sparkman & Stephens boat design. Going 30–35 degrees upwind felt so effortless. The strong breeze eased a little after an hour, and a few hours later it dropped to the forecasted lighter air. — #sailing #strongbreeze #laminatedjib #sparkmanstephens #doublehanded #sailchange #cruisinglife #sailing #sailinglife #sailboat #oceanlife #boatlife #sailingadventure #windyday #oceanvibes #highwindsailing #seaspirit #waves #travelvlog #nauticallife #explorethesea #wildblue

What a beautiful planet—and what a stunning boat design. This classic S&S 37ft yacht took me on a 50 nm solo trip, enjoying the UK's very short summer and the results of years of improvements and refurbishments. Slowly but surely, we're getting there.. #ocean #englishchannel #sailing #classicyacht

I had a nice breeze for a prolonged period, and it was physically demanding since I couldn’t leave the wheel all day. I did heave-to once to go below deck, but a pattern of a few larger waves came and buried the bow. At Beachy Head, it's normal to encounter uncomfortable waves. It's difficult to hoist the main without a helmsman. If I remember correctly, I first unfurled the genoa to go slowly upwind, close-hauled. To hoist the main, I had to go to the mast, leaving the cockpit and hoping the boat wouldn't bear away. She's a very well-balanced boat, and with the directional stability of a deep fin keel, I had to get lucky to have enough time to go midship and hoist the main before she bore away. It was a day I love to remember. #solosailing #singlehandedsailing #englishchannel #autopilot

This area is somewhat sheltered by the cape in the NW'ly wind, and the camera optics' wave-flattening effect contribute to the flat-looking sea. #condor37 #s&s #sparkmanandstephens #englishchannel #sailing

#eunice #storm #yachtkara

#singlehanded #solosailing #calmsea #relax

#storm #stormysea #gale #englishchannel #oceanstorm gusting 54kt - 100Kmh

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#englishchannel #sailing

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S&S