We completed an Atlantic circuit in our yacht "Ragamuffin of Gosport", a Nicholson 31, in 1987/8. Since then, we have sailed together with our children along both sides of the Channel coast. We bought our current boat, "Helena May", a Bavaria 38, in 2003. We have spent the last couple of years [...]

preparing her for long distance cruising and plan to start a 2-year trade wind circumnavigation in September this year. And yes, we'll be avoiding the pirates by taking the long way home via Cape Town, Brazil and the US East coast.