Global Voyageur

Be a virtual voyager - join the tartan navy to follow the Mackays on their return to Scotland

21 June 2012 | Clyde Marina, Ardrossan
20 June 2012 | North Channel, Irish Sea
17 June 2012 | Bay of Biscay
15 June 2012 | Coruna Marina, La Coruna
14 June 2012 | Marina Coruna, La Coruna
13 June 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
12 June 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
09 June 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
07 June 2012 | Ponta Delgaga
06 June 2012 | Ponta Delgada
04 June 2012 | Angra
02 June 2012 | Horta, Faial
01 June 2012 | Horta , Faial
28 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
25 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
24 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
23 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
22 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
21 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean
20 May 2012 | North Atlantic Ocean

Ninety nine miles to San Miguel

06 June 2012 | Ponta Delgada
Susan Mackay
As the crow flies the distance was actually ninety nm but with a twelve metre sea mount in the way we gave it a good wide berth adding another nine nm to the trip. Today was without doubt the best sailing we have had since we launched on the 2nd December last year in Grenada. It was such a good call on David's part. As always he studies the weather assiduously and makes a decision based on several aspects. The wind overnight for our intended sail would be over thirty knots, but experience has taught us that more often than not, you add another ten onto that. But the more important aspect was the direction of the wind. If we left tonight we would have the wind forward or on the beam, but if we bided our time until the morning the wind was forecast to veer round the north west, which would give us the wind and the seas coming from astern, an important consideration especially if conditions are going to be a little bit lively. However, the overriding decision for us was that we could have one more evening spent in the company of our World Arc friends from 'A Lady', Aileen and Stephen along with their crew Vera and Denis! After a last minute surprise presentation from the Angra Yacht Club, where the entire fleet were given a plaque along with a box of the yummiest delicious cakes you have ever tasted, the 'A Lady' crew came aboard for a final final farewell supper. It was such great fun but tinged with sadness too for now it really is a parting of the waves for our two boats. They have decided to sail directly to the Emerald Isle from here in Terceira and we are continuing on one more hop to San Miguel where Donald Fraser is to join us for the last push home to Scotland. Stephen is one heck of a guy to cook for. For a start he doesn't eat tomatoes. Imagine that! David is a tomato addict. He looks for tomatoes in every dish. So I make a compromise, I know that Stephen loves pork so I have a lovely piece of pork fillet bought in the BVI's and make a casserole and instead of tomatoes I cheat and put in tomato puree. I don't know if he notices but he seems to eat it happily enough anyway unless he is being ultra polite which I doubt very much because it is not in his nature. To follow we have fresh locally grown strawberries which are in season at the moment, in a marinade of balsamic vinegar with ice cream. Everyone seems to love it but at the end of the end of the day it is more about the company than the food so what the heck, the company is great. Stephen is on good form and tells a couple of cracking jokes that David loves so we are all very happy.
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Vessel Name: VOYAGEUR
Vessel Make/Model: Amel Super Maramu 2000
Hailing Port: Rhu, Scotland
Crew: Susan and David Mackay
About:
David first learned to sail on a Loch Fyne day boat out of Helensburgh Sailing Club on the River Clyde in his mid twenties. With the arrival of a family he did not do any more, until in 1984 we bought our first boat, “The Golden Soak”, a Matilda 20. [...]

Our motto:Carpe Diem

Who: Susan and David Mackay
Port: Rhu, Scotland