CREW

Ahoy

I am supported by my wife Cheryl. Although she is not a sailor Cheryl is being very generous in encouraging me in this venture and making it possible. She is flying out to enjoy many of the islands with us along the way.

I've worked hard to equip Kittiwake and myself for the voyage. I've enjoyed the thrill of learning new skills and putting them into practice. In preparation I have completed the MCA long range radio and satellite communications course and their first aid and medical care at sea course. I've also done the ISAF sea survival course and spent many hours with my head in the bilges and under engines understanding the ships murkier systems. I've also dangled from the top of the mast and learnt how to whip cordage and repair a sail.

My ethos has always been 'safe, happy cruising'. My aim is to make it a safe, fun and satisfying experience for all when on board. Humour and good food are important ingredients.

I am looking at the 12 months or so of this venture as a sabbatical with a distinct start and end point. It will be fun a long the way but the real satisfaction will come from having completed the challenge of the voyage in all its many aspects. These include project management, leadership and personal development as much as anything.

I have no desire to wander the world's oceans for years or become a lotus eater. There are too many other things I'd like to do at home, with the rest of the family and as a consultant in the field of sustainable development. As the passages will be interspersed with periods back in the UK I will continue my interests in these areas whenever possible and on my return.

I am very fortunate in having my son James with me for the voyage and in having other family and friends come to join us along the way.

James Wade
James is 24 years old and has been my sailing companion for many years. We did our RYA VHF Operators, Day Skipper and Offshore Skipper courses together. We have sailed to the West Country and crossed the English Channel on a number of occasions. James completed his Master of Engineering in Automotive Engineering from Leeds University in the summer of 2006 and is looking upon this voyage as a gap year. To complement his academic qualifications he is also an accomplished mechanic and car restorer.

He is a keen grit stone and Alpine climber with a passion for climbing that matches his love of the sea. He is very handy when is comes to repairs and maintenance, always cool in a crisis and just great to have around. He was the natural leader of the 'Young Guns' - see below.

James is doing all of the passages with me except the early ones to Plymouth and across Biscay to Bayona due to university commitments.

Andy Browning, Ian Robertson and Graham Irvine
The 'A' team - what else can I say! These salty sea dogs all own their own yachts, and are members of Newhaven Yacht Club. Andy is the most experienced. After retiring from his Veterinary practice in Lewes he has crewed in the Fastnet 2005 and in the delivery of a racing yacht from Thailand to the Red Sea in early 2006. Andy has a passion for sail trimming. His conviction is that a yacht performing to its best is a safe one. His experience at passage making has been invaluable in settling down Kittiwake and crew into a smooth routine during the early stages.

Ian is a natural helmsman, a skill that goes well with his passion for his newly acquired TVR that he will take to Le Man 2007.

Graham is Vice Commodore of Newhaven Yacht Club and has an all round enthusiasm for sailing and hunger for more sail whenever the conditions permit.

The level of humour and companionship they each bring to any passage makes it a truly special experience. They are all generous in sharing their knowledge and improving my competence.

The 'A' team are doing the passages from Brighton to Dartmouth and Plymouth and from Plymouth to Bayona across the Bay of Biscay. Graham is also joining for the Atlantic crossing from Gran Canaria to St Lucia.Passage 6 Andy and Ian are doing the return from Antigua to Bermuda and then home to UK waters via the Azores in 2007. Passages 8 - 12

Emma Parsons and Robert McDowall
Together with James they represent the 'Young guns' for the run down Northern Spain and Portugal with me. Emma is the daughter of my cousin (making her my second cousin removed - an expression she dislikes much preferring to be just a cousin) and Robert my nephew. This crew makes it a family occasion.

Emma is a freelance stage and film prop designer as well as a qualified English tutor for non-English speakers. Robert has a natural skill with computers and cameras and completed his second year at Hull University where he is reading Geography in the summer of 2006.

Robert's and Emma's experience of cruising has been limited to the occasional week they have spent with James and me cruising to the West Country or in the English Channel off Newhaven. Nevertheless they are enthusiastic and competent crew and great fun to have around.

Chris, Julia and Leo Snook
Chris is a very long standing family friend. He has known Cheryl from their school days in North Finchley and he was major-domo at our wedding. Chris and Julia have owned their own boat. They now focus their energies, when not running their businesses, on developing their properties in south west France.

Chris will join us for the passages from Lagos to Madeira and Gran Canaria in August and then for the Atlantic crossing in November/December. Chris has an encyclopaedic memory and keen interest in just about everything, particularly Roman and Napoleonic history and sea battles. This coupled with his love of performing sea shanties mean that we will never be short of conversation or entertainment on the long passages.

Chris's wife Julia will join for the passage from Madeira to Gran Canaria while his son Leo will be with us between Lagos and Madeira. Julia and Leo share Chris's love of the performing arts and all have sailed with James and me in the Channel.

Brian Benjamin
Brian is semi retired and when not managing the wine department of a major store in East Sussex he is on the water in his lovely clinker built sloop 'La Finesse' berthed at Newhaven. When not doing this he is probably cruising in the Mediterranean on his brother's yacht. Brian will join us for the passage from Lagos to Maderia.

Guests
James Clements and Kathy Parker joined us for two wonderful days sailing down the coast of Portugal. They were crewing on Grateful Parrot who were part of the Rally Portugal but hopped ship to join the Young Guns for probably the best days sailing as we weathered 50 plus knots of wind around Cabo da Roca - see Passage 3.

While based in St Lucia we enjoyed the company of the following guests while we sailed local waters around Martinique, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Tony Buick and Jacquie Dowding of Brighton Marina. Marilyn and Ian Hedley of London. Nick and Gill Putnam of London. Ron and Adrienne Nielsen and their boys Wils and Nicholas of Montreal. - see their family photos, videos and drawings at Nielsen family. Nick Galvin of London and my brother-in-law Ian McDowall of Sheffield.

Other family and friends

There are many other family and friends who plan to join us for a week or so in the Caribbean during the period mid February to late April when we shall be cruising the islands.

My dear wife Cheryl joined us in Madeira, Gran Canaria, St Lucia and the BVIs. My daughter Tally and her partner Chris joined in the family Christmas in St Lucia.

Emma of the 'Young Guns' returned for the trip north from St Lucia to the British Virgins Islands. Daniel Sprague of Hawkhurst,Kent also joined for the trip north to the BVIs and then back down to Antigua. Louise McDowall, my niece, joined us for the trip down from the BVIs to St Maarten and Antigua.

Emma, Daniel and Louise along with James made it 'Young Guns Two' for 850 nmiles of varied and challenging sailing through the Leeward, Windward and British Virgin Islands - see Passage 7.