Intrepid Travels

Vessel Name: Intrepid Elk
Vessel Make/Model: Outremer catamaran 51
Hailing Port: Fremantle
Crew: Robert and Revle Elks
16 May 2017
06 October 2016
30 September 2016
22 September 2016
18 September 2016
17 September 2016
14 September 2016
13 September 2016
12 September 2016
10 September 2016
04 September 2016
01 September 2016
31 August 2016
30 August 2016
27 August 2016
24 August 2016
23 August 2016
21 August 2016
19 August 2016
Recent Blog Posts
16 May 2017

Cherbourg encore

We are reunited with Intrepid Elk after a winter/summer separation and it is good to be home again. IE has had a facelift and her shiny white hulls are dazzling once more. She has a beautiful new bimini (shade cover) over the helm seat, which Robert designed and which was fabricated in Portsmouth and [...]

06 October 2016

IE preparation for winter

Our sailing days for this year are over and we are once again busy getting IE ready for a winter in the northern hemisphere. This year, she will be in the water for most of the time, with a short interlude on land in a large painting shed, where she will have her hulls painted. In order to get her into [...]

30 September 2016

Cherbourg, France

It was an inky black moonless night as we slipped out of the river and across the sand bar with fishing vessel Emma Louise behind us. Revle was on the bowsprit with a spotlight looking for hazards ahead. I was at the helm, peering at our chartplotter and concentrating on following our inward track. [...]

22 September 2016

Plymouth

We made a motoring passage of 35 miles to Plymouth Sound, then battled against strong currents up the Tamar River to an anchorage at West Mud where we spent a peaceful night. Plymouth has been a major naval base for centuries and we had some close encounters with modern navy ships in the harbour. We [...]

18 September 2016

Falmouth

Our passage to Falmouth took us past The Lizard, a projecting headland with a ferocious tidal race. We passed a little too close and got caught in the race which was too bumpy for comfort. Approaching the Falmouth harbour, we had the excitement of crossing our track from June 2015 when we made landfall [...]

17 September 2016

Newlyn

We left the Isles of Scilly early in the morning to catch a light northerly wind to Land's End and the fishing port of Newlyn, just south of Penzance. We couldn't believe our luck, having another gentle passage through one of the most treacherous and notorious waterways in northern Europe. We galloped [...]

Indian River

10 January 2015
Prince Rupert Bay, in which the town of Portsmouth lies, is a colourful place. After years of free-lance 'boat boy' business, the locals got together to form PAYS - Portsmouth Association for Yacht Security. This organisation now oversees and trains the 'boat boys' and provides a level of security for visiting yachts and has largely abolished the scoundrel trade and fleecing of the visitors. Martin, in his boat 'Providence', is providing our 'boat boy' services, which includes collecting rubbish and laundry, sharing local knowledge and organising tours of the island tailored to our preferences. There are 14 PAYS 'boys' and 7 accredited free lancers, and each one has a boat painted bright colours and with a suitably colourful name. We have seen 'Respect', 'Myway', 'Blessing', 'Providence'..... and most of the boats are made by their owners.
Today, being Saturday, was the day of the Farmer's Market and we went to have a look. The small intersection was lined with numerous small tables laden with locally grown produce. All looked fresh and appetizing and all was offered with a smile. We filled our trolley with oranges, pawpaw, pineapple, tomatoes, fresh eggs, bread and even a yam! An ice cold passion fruit juice, served out of an esky by a wrinkled old gentleman, tasted wonderful in the heat of the morning.
Martin arrived with his boat full of two other families and picked us up for our first outing - a canoe ride up Indian River. We meandered slowly up the 700m of navigable river, with dense rainforest either side, as Martin introduced us to the birds and plants of this incredibly lush and unspoilt land. We enjoyed the conversation with the others in the small boat and the peace and beauty of the place had an effect on us all.
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