Welcome to Kelsall 39 sailing. Keep scrolling for the latest blog posts. Here in the beginning i have the frequently asked questions and answers! Common questions and answers:
- Firstly, what to pack? If going for a sailing trip it can be difficult to know what to bring! Actually there is a post here on the site where I talk about this. You can read about what to pack here.
- Secondly there is always the question of expenses. How much does it cost per day? This answer depends a little bit on which area which we are sailing. Eastern Europe is cheaper than England for example, and because we share all the food and marina/harbour costs that makes a difference for the daily cost per crew. To keep the long story short, what we do is that I keep a very careful note of every expense. Then as different people come and go we re-set the counter and share the costs of food, marinas, and fuel for engine (hopefully we don’t use it) and that’s about it. I really don’t think that I have been anywhere where daily costs go above 20 euro per day, but I think it is safest to calculate about 15.
- Thirdly, do you need to have experience? This question is also a very common one. I always try to explain that it does not matter if you have sailing experience or not. We organise the watches so that people of different experiences are together. The idea is to help each other and make sure that everyone is comfortable. If anything seems strange, or needs doing, then I am always close by.
Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the blog posts here on the website!
- Sweden to France
We started our trip back from the SE coast of Sweden, going to Brittany, on the 20th June, just before the mid-summer solstice.
Our intentions were to sail over Denmark, stop in Norway and wait for a weather window to them make a passage over to Scotland. Scotland, and then down to Ireland as soon as possible to then have a few weeks cruising there.
What we found though, was strong Westerlies, and very persistent Westerlies. It was looking like we would be stuck for days on the west coast of Sweden, then again in Norway, and then again in Scotland to make a hop down the West coast towards Ireland.
We had to decide in the end to return via the Kiel canal, which is what we have done. I do think that next time we sail up to Sweden we shall take the route via Ireland and the Caledonia canal on the way up, and perhaps the Kiel canal route on the way down.
Anyhow, now, some two weeks later we are waiting for a weather window to sail the next leg from the Western Weddel sea in Holland, to Dover – or further if possible.
The weather has been very complicated, and unless you have a boat, and the will, to beat upwind into 25 knots of breeze on the North Sea, then two weeks is what it will take to make it this far. What I can say however, is that we have had some fantastic stops in Copenhagen, Kiel, Rendsburg, Borkum, and now on the Lauwermeer.
Also, due to various reasons, there have been some changes on the crew side, so we shall see if we are two on board from now on, or if I can find an extra hand. The weather for Wednesday is looking good, albeit light conditions, and I think we will stay at sea for three to four days and try and make it as far as we can before the westerlies stop us in the English channel, probably somewhere by Cherbourg.
- North Sea at its Calmest
Our voyage from Sandwich in Kent, to the River Elbe from Monday to Friday the last week in April is the calmest North Sea passage I have ever made. The conditions actually ideally suited for a multi-hull, with light winds on the quarter.
From Sandwich we crossed over the Themes river estuary, dodging wind farm parks and sandbanks, then up the coast past Greater Yarmouth. By Wednesday evening we were for the first time outside of mobile phone signal range, and without the luxury of internet weather forecasts.
The last weather models we downloaded showed the wind increasing to 20+ knots on Saturday early morning, so the time to arrive should be before then to not have too hectic a time at the Elbe river.
As it happened the weather forecast was very reliable, and we had the wind changes as forecast. We can’t make any claim to setting any new speed records. Honestly though, to make a passage so calm — difficult to believe we weren’t moored alongside a pontoon — is enjoyable. Lets see how the trip back down from Sweden goes – later this year.
We were early enough at the Elbe to have a night stop at Helgoland; a small island off the coast of Germany. It was already quite busy, for the beginning of May, and we had to raft up with other boats five deep. A pleasant stop indeed though, and the next day we moved to Neuhaus some distance up the Elbe and then the Oste rivers.
For the Kiel canal transit we need to not have strong head-winds, as this reduces our motoring speed from 4.2 knots to 3.2 knots quite soon… so we wait at Neuhaus for a good weather forecast before motoring the 50 nautical miles to Kiel and finally the Baltic Sea!
Helgoland cliffs 
Gannet going for seaweed 
Helgoland cliffs - Dorset and Kent
It’s been a little while, and we have been busy with other things than me keeping the blog up to date. In part the sailing up past Dover, to where we are now; Sandwich in Kent, but also seeing friends in Poole, and various adventures on the way.
From Plymouth we sailed to Swanage, crossing Lyme Bay in a day, quite comfortably. The weather on Thursday was brilliant sunshine and Weasterly winds, and we arrived at Swanage by 2PM. The day at Swanage we spent walking the cliffs and visiting the National Park there. The weather forecast showed strong Easterly winds the next morning, so we moved to Poole Harbour for better shelter.
The sailing season is not yet active, it’s only April after all, so we could use a free mooring ball instead of having to anchor. This is when a dinghy is useful: for getting to shore. We went ashore on Friday morning, to escape the rain. The day was spent in Poole, a large part of it at the weatherspoons pub in the warmth.
It being good Friday there was a lively atmosphere in the pubs in Poole, even though outside the rain never held up, and the wind too was blowing it sideways. In the evening we found a live music pub on the waterfront at Poole, the Lord Nelson. Music, and later on the a DJ, we had a great time. By 1AM we decided to head back to the boat for some sleep.
Unfortunately for us, after the 2 km walk along the shoreside, we found that the dinghy we had left at the harbour was gone, stolen. Very unfortunate, as it’s only about 10 degrees in the water, and at 2AM, nobody about to give us a lift out. We ended up walking back into town, hoping to find a hotel or somewhere to sleep!
In the end we found no hotel, and all the online AirBnB and apps only allowed to book a place for Saturday to Sunday, not what we needed: a place for Friday to Saturday! So, in the end we found ourselves back at the Lord Nelson, and the few remaining people there were very helpful, phoning hotels for us and racking their brains fore where we could find shelter for the night.
Eventually we were offered a place to sleep at a someone who lives right in Poole centre in the old town, the gentleman – Sam – was very kind, and it just shows how kind people are. It’s easy to forget when you rarely find yourself in need in these times of wealth and individualism. So, many thanks Sam for you kindness, and for the breakfast omelette the next morning too.
After getting back out to the boat the next day we still didn’t have good conditions for continuing the voyage to Sweden, and we moved to a marina pontoon instead. The dinghy was never found, we did look through the bushes and in the reeds along the harbour, to see if it had been hidden somewhere, but no luck.
Anyhow, we stayed another night at a friend of mine who has a farm nearby, and on Monday sailed for the Dover straights. Perfect spinnaker sailing the whole way, and to the mouth of the river Stour, where we waited for the tide and motored the last bit up to Sandwich in the evening of April 22nd.
We now have to wait for the next weather window to sail to Germany, and for the next week it’s not looking very good. We shall see what we do to spend the time, but we shall certainly visit London a few days, pehapps Canterbury, and Dover castle too.
Poole Harbour 
Dover 
Seals at the Stour 
- Lyme Bay
The weather on Tuesday, our day at Plymouth, was solid rain all day. In the evening the wind picked up and rain, hail and a near gale blowing made for quite a grim evening.
However, what we ended up doing instead was having a big hot meal and drinks with my friends who live nearby Hope Lake where we were anchored. To stay in a warm house for dinner and in good company was the best thing we could have wished for! All the while rain blowing against the windows outside.
At 11PM we had to go back to the boat, before the dinghy would float no more on water, but get sucked in the mud as the tide goes out and leaves the whole of Hope Lake dry. The wind was still howling, and we had more rain and hail. The dinghy was half full of water, and had managed to twist its oarlocks and painter around the mooring lines of the craft moored at the quay. Some careful in twisting in the rain, without falling over in the mud was successful – but leaving us soaked through.
We paddled out to the boat, and took shelter inside, soon after we settled comfortably in the mud, and only the wind and rain continued to whistle in the rigging. There’s no better way to feel safe at anchor than when the tide has gone out and your boat is held firmly in the mud.
This morning we woke up to a fresh Southwesterly breeze, and bright sunshine. The day of departure for the next leg: to where, we were not sure – but by this evening I can say that the day’s sailing has been perfect! We made it in good time to Start Point, and now have had a broad reach all across the 50 miles of Lyme Bay.
We have a fair current round Portland Bill, and have just to finish the last few miles up the East coast and anchor at Portland harbour. It’s looking like we shall arrive at a civilised hour even – good enough to catch a nice night’s sleep.
Portland Bill coming up on the horizon
