Tuesday 20 October 2015

Crossing the Bay of Biscay

Hi all

We left Falmouth in Cornwall bound for Spain heading off across the Channel  and the Bay of Biscay
Weather is very unpredictable in the Bay of Biscay and can be very stormy. I have heard that in the days when huge sailing boats sailed the seas, sailors feared the Bay of Biscay. They either struggled against the powerful westerly winds or heavy swells that drove them into the Bay.
Things are much easier today (I was pleased to hear) with modern sailing vessels, with modern technology to lend a helping hand. The crew had been monitoring the weather and its now cleared enough to head off into the blue again.

We are now moored at Lison Portugal and we are again waiting for a weather system to clear before we move on. So a good time to give you an update. The weather was indeed quite rough at times and we all got thrown about now and again. 
Luckily everything was tied down and we did not loose anything (or anyone) overboard.

Lots of dolphins and whales swim through the Bay of Biscay and we saw some pilot whale and a pod of common dolphins joined us for a while. We all welcomed their company.


There was also an amazing sunset as the sun seemed to just sink into the ocean! 
We hope soon to leave Lisbon for the Canary Islands.

Click the following link to see what fun we all got up to crossing the Bay of Bisay

Ed and the Crew of the Moondancer.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Falmouth

Hi all

Well we had to stop over in Falmouth in Cornwall. This was mainly due to the need to wait out the passing of some very stormy weather. It was a chance for me to visit somewhere else in the UK that I had not been before. 
My travels over the years have taken me to many beautiful places, such as the Hawaiian Islands, the rugged Olympic Coast in the USA, Seal Island in South Africa and even Antarctica. But there are many beautiful and amazing places in the UK as well.
As soon as the weather clears we will head off across the Channel and into the Atlantic, so Famouth is our last stop before leaving the UK and heading off into the blue. Next stop Portugal.
Falmouth is a great place for surfing and I have had some great surfing experiences in the USA but the seas are too rough here for a tiny bear like me.

I am getting to know the rest of the crew a bit better now. They are lots of fun and I am enjoying the chance to be at sea and listen to their live music that is very much a part of the the Moondancer and the sea.
Click the link below for a glimpse at the rest of the crew and the reasons for this amazing journey that I have been invited to be a part of.

Stormbound in Falmouth

Bye for now

Ed the Bear and the crew of the Moondancer

Friday 16 October 2015

Newhaven to Falmouth

Hi all


Well at last a chance to let you know how our journey has gone so far. We have stopped at Lisbon in Portugal and are waiting for the right wind conditions before making the long crossing to the Canary Islands.

After leaving Newhaven we had fair weather as we sailed past Brighton, my beach at Shoreham and onto Chichester.
The weather conditions have been quite varied and it definitely got increasingly windy the nearer we got to Falmouth in Cornwall.
Oh yes, we were joined by a pod of dolphins who came to check us out before heading off on their own journey. 
You can see a short video below of out trip from Newhaven to Falmouth. Just click the link below.

https://vimeo.com/139444241


It has been a great journey so far. As you can see life on-board is very busy and I have tried as much as possible not to get in everyone's way.
More about our amazing journey soon.


Bye for now

Ed the Bear and the crew of Moondancer