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On Monday we left Cowes at 5am and had a brisk fair wind sail all day in bright weather. The wind petered out about midnight by which time we had got to Dungeness. We anchored for a few hours of sleep on the east side of Dungeness. This is a useful anchorage and safe under most conditions but the boat does roll around a bit on the swell. If you are tired enough you don't much mind.

On Tuesday morning we got going about 6.30 but had mostly light winds. Off Dover we saw a Channel swimmer with his escort boat. He still had another 20 miles to go. The conditions must have been right for them as Dover Coastguard were warning shipping of  'numerous' swimmers. The first Channel swimmer, the remarkable Captain Matthew Webb, of course had no escort boat or any other kind of support in case of trouble.

Later a gentle SE breeze sprang up and we sailed into the Swale just as it was getting dark.

Bonita back on her home mooring

And so ends Bonita's big cruise which we have been planning for about two years. This is quite possibly the farthest she has ever sailed in a single summer.  She has come out of it quite well: a few harbour scuffs and scrapes, a new gearbox and lots of chipped varnish but that seems to be about all. Her old world elegance remains unruffled.

I have been asked several times how I feel about finishing the trip. To sail your own boat around Britain is a marvelous experience and one that I would recommend to any yachtsman. To some extent there's relief to have completed it: to have got back to where we started without significant loss or damage. I also have increased respect and admiration for those early sailors who made similar voyages in similar boats but without an engine or modern navigational aids. 

And of course none of it would have been possible without generous support and understanding from my family, friends, work colleagues, the Old Gaffers Association, and those crew members who gave up their annual holiday to be part of Bonita's big adventure. Thank you all.

Homeward bound

Sarah and Royal Sovereign Tower

With a too-good-to-resist westerly we have set off for home only briefly pausing for the night anchored in the lee of Dungeness.

Finish of the Round Britain Challenge

On Sunday morning there was a simple gathering in Cowes of the skippers, crews and friends of the 20 boats involved in the Round Britain Challenge. In words pictures and music there were reflections of the shared experiences of the cruise. Many felt it had been greatly enriched by being part of a group of broadly similar boats cruising together.

Barbara Runnells sings 'Moon River'

The cruise has not completely ended: Minstrel and Capraia will not have finished their circumnavigations until they get back to Milford Haven. We and several other boats will be heading  eastwards for home tomorrow.

In the evening Sarah and I went out for dinner with Sian and Ant and Barbara from Moon River.

Barbara is much admired by us all for having completed the circumnavigation single-handed. Single-handed coastal sailing with its ever-present navigational and shipping hazards requires constant vigilance; in this respect it is much more demanding than offshore single-handing.

Jolyon, Eric and Mary with Minstrel

The effects of the RBC will carry on for a while; in this month's issue of Classic Boat there is a fine article on Witch by Claudia Myatt while Nic Compton's article on Bonita is due to appear in the October issue. No doubt there will be much exchange of photos when we all get home. Our Dutch friends are planning ways to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their branch of the OGA in 2014. 

Racing in heavy weather

Taking in a reef

Saturday morning bought strong and blustery SW winds. About sixty gaffers set out bravely to race in the Solent and presented a fine sight. There were several press boats in attendance and they must have got some excellent pictures. This photo was taken by Sam Scott. Sam, Vicky and Ant followed the fleet in a launch. In the picture we are in the process of taking in yet another reef in the mainsail.

Everyone had a wet and exciting sail. Unfortunately there was some damage and a few collisions. At least two boats became entangled with the race marks while another became entangled with fishing gear laid next to one of the marks. A fair number of boats retired due to the stress of weather.

Bonita had D, Tim and John helping out. We had a somewhat wet sail with a fair bit of water flowing over the deck which washed the scrubbing brush overboard. Apart from that mishap Bonita took it well. There were some dramatic photos taken of her leaping from wave to wave such as this posted on Facebook by Nic Compton. We hope to post some more race photos in this blog in due course.

After everyone had got back safely there was a prize-giving in the marina. Bonita came around the middle of the field as she often seems to. Of the RBC boats, Witch and Annabel J both did well winning prizes. The round Britain boats all are carrying a lot of extra gear and may have grown a bit of weed in the last four months, so any success against the local racers is impressive.

The video shows replica whaling boat Molly, one of the few open boats to complete the course. At the end of the upwind leg we overtook her while her crew had a lengthy break to bail her out but once she was emptied they resumed the race and stormed by us in fine, if precarious, form.

It looks as though tomorrow may be quite windy as well, but we plan to head back to the Swale soon.

Trevor's lessons from Bonita's circumnavigation

As I watch Bonita tacking up the Solent on my PC in Canada....

Click on the picture above or on this link to watch the video...

Bonita Track in Old Gaffers' Race 17 August 2013