Atlantic Circle

Kestrel has just completed a 2-year (June 05 – June 07) Atlantic circle. The 12,000 mile trip took Kestrel from Chesapeake Bay to the Azores (John and crew Rupert Knowles double-handing), then to Ireland (John single-handing), where she spent the winter, then in the Spring of 06 up the Irish Sea (John and crew Adrian O’Donovan double-handing) to Scotland where she cruised for June and July (John and Kathy only). In August 06 Kestrel sailed to La Coruna, Spain (John and crew Niall Vaughn double-handing), then down the Portuguese coast to Lagos (John single-handing), from where, in September, she jumped back out into the Atlantic to Madeira (John and crew Martin Morgan double-handing). In October 2006, John single-handed Kestrel down from Madeira to the Canary Islands, where he expected his Irish friend Adrian O’Donovan to join him for the trade-wind passage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Tragically, Adrian was dying of cancer as that leg began in early December. John wound up single-handing that 3000-odd mile passage from Tenerife, Canary Islands, to Martinique in the Caribbean, arriving on Christmas Eve of 2006 after 22 days at sea. There Kathy came aboard, and Kestrel spent the entire Spring of 2007 cruising up the Antilles chain to the Bahamas, thence home via Beaufort Inlet in North Carolina, through “the ditch” back to Chesapeake Bay where it had all started two years before. Kestrel is currently at her home berth in Deale, Maryland.

Pre-departure, Herrington Harbour, Deale, Maryland, and Cape May

John on departure day
Pre-Departure-- Crew Rupert Knowles in Rainy Cape May
John on departure day
Brooding About the Weather
John checks into the net

On the way to the Azores

Hank-on Sails at the Ready
Offshore Interior 2
Offshore Inteiror 1
Ham Radio Bin
Rupert at Helm
Light Air -- Rupert on the Bow
Rup Takes a Sun Sight
Rupert on Watch
Cape Horn Vane in Command
Horta -- at Slip, Drying it All Out
Horta -- Kestrel Goes on the Wall
Horta -- Typical Sidewalk
Horta -- The Wall
Horta -- Kestrel Rafted on the Wall
Horta -- Happy Skipper
     

Singlehanded bound for Ireland

Weather Charts via Ham Radio
Single-handed, Interior, Poll Berth as Chart Table
Vane in Command -- Leaving Pico & Faial in the Distance
Running to Ireland
Running to Ireland 2
Running 3 -- Picking Up a Bit
Reaching as a Cutter
Beam Reach at Speed
Crosshaven Harbor
On the Hard in Crosshaven
 
John and Kathy aboard new friend Adrian's "Mo Chuisle"
   

Trawler Encounter

One day out of Crosshaven, in Ireland, Kestrel collided with a 150-foot steel trawler, hitting the trawler amidships. This group shows the damage to Kestrel, and repair progress on the hard in Crosshaven. The repair photos were taken in November 2005.

Oops!  Bad day for Kestsrel
Bashed bow
On the Hard, the damage cut away
Craftsman Marc Pessey with Kestrel's new nose
Marc Pessey & helper fit the new stemhead
New rail sections too
John with new stemhead at Crosshaven yard
Like New
 

Up The Irish Sea

Up to Dublin, crew Adrian O'Donovan in Force 7
Kathy & book, Howth, Ireland
Kathy, Book of Kells, Dublin
Carlingford Loch

Scotland, to the Hebrides

Kyles of Bute
Crinan Canal, rafted for the night
Crinan Canal, final sea lock
Crinan Canal, first sea lock
Crinan Canal, Kathy takes a lock
Scottish gray day
Our Scottish hosts Paul & Deborah, Kestrel in background
Paul & Deborah's cottage, Kyles of Bute
At anchor, Kyles of Bute

The Hebrides

Bull Hole, at anchor
 Kathy at helm, Dorus Mor
Kathy, Bridge, Puillabhrain
Capn John, Staffa background
Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Sound of Mull, castle
Staffa
Robert the Bruce castle
Loch Aline, at anchor

To and In Spain

Crossing Biscay, Niall Vaughn on watch
Crossing Biscay, hove-to for a rest
La Coruna Marina crammed with tall ships
La Coruna, exotic visitors 1
La Coruna, exotic visitors 2
La Coruna, exotic visitors 3
La Coruna, the Italians, best ship in show
 Rio de Muros, arson fire

Portugal

Figueria de Foz, Portugal, festival
Sines, Portugal
Cabo Sao Vicente, Portugal
Cabo Sao Vicente on the computer
Along-side in Sines
Portuguese politics I
Portuguese politics II
Sister Erica visits in Lagos

To Madeira

Out to Madeira, crew Martin Morgan on watch
Madeira Islands, Porto Santo in sight
Porto Santo Marina

The Canaries

Kestrel leaving Madeira
Canary Islands, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife haul to raise waterline
New higher waterline
Super yacht in Tenerife
Big Tenerife visitor
Beautiful Lyle Hess 30 at Tenerife
 
Atop Tenerife

Trade Wind Passage – Tenerife to Martinique

Packed & ready
Stores galore
Headsails ready
Leaving Tenerife
Irish tri-color for Adrian
Winged heads; 20 kts steady!.
Wings to the West.
Double heads flying
Chute up!
Chute drawing nicely
Blue blue water.
Eve before Martinique arrival

The Lesser Antilles

Christmas Eve, Marin, Martinique.
Kestrel & huge friends
Beacon Cat comes aboard in Martinique
Beacon's dinghy
St. Pierre, Martinique
Rain forest, Dominica
Iles des Saintes approach
Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe, Beacon liked this 100-ft Italian sloop
Guadeloupe, K with super Tri
Approaching volcanic Montserrat
Charlestown, Nevis
More St. Maarten neighbors
Typical St.Maarten neighbor
Leaving Simpson Bay, St. Maarten
Beacon, Norman Is. BVI
John & South African friend Charlie, Tortola
A crowd at the Baths
 
Snorkel heaven, Norman Is., BVI
 

The Greater Antilles

Under way to Culebra.
Culebra color
Culebra color II
Culebra commerce
Rounding into San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan
Old San Juan 2
Old San Juan 3
Old San Juan 4
Old San Juan 5
Leaving San Juan
To Dominican Republic -- brisk conditions
Ocean World Marina & Casino, Dominican  Republic
Ocean World 2
Ocean World 3
Kathy and bird, Ocean World, Dom Rep
Kathy and friend, Ocean World, Dom Rep

The Bahamas

Rum Cay, the Bahamas
Rum Cay sculpture
Rum Cay sand sculpture
Dink & shark, Rum Cay
Directions, Rum Cay
Staniel Cay, Exumas, Bahamas
Warderick Wells, Exumas, Bahamas
Beacon at Warderick Wells anchorage
Warderick Wells anchorage
Whale, Warderick Wells
Clear water, Warderick Wells, Exumas
Highborne Cay, Northern Exumas
Highborne Cay beach
Feeding time, Highborne Cay
Hope Town Harbour, Southern Abacos
At anchor, Hope Town
Skipper driving, Green Turtle Cay, Abacos
Three-legged race, Green Turtle Cay
Bahamian Guard, Green Turtle Cay
 
Oops!  Power boat adrift, Green Turtle Cay

Homeward Bound

Fierce current through Nunjack Cut
Onward to Beaufort, skipper off watch
No wind, approach to Beaufort, NC
Kestrel & Solveig IV in Beaufort
John & Barb's Solveig IV with Kestrel
Solveig IV heads up the ICW
Following Solveig up the ICW
ICW nasty weather
ICW bridge, behind square rigger
 
Norfolk -- home waters at last!