in terms of staying afloat we spent much of the winter again training for the Gig rowing World Championships. Obviosly weather dependent, we were often rowing 3 times a week and doing gym sessions at least once a week. Great for our overall fitness. we had a practice row at Helford Regatta which went really well considering the windy conditions. On the 30th April we sailed to Scilly with our trusty cat Maisie. We picked up a mooring in St Mary’s harbour and spent most of the weekend in Hugh Town. The masters (over 60s) races were on Friday 2nd May. We both raced in perfect weather conditions but it was much more competitive this year, with more clubs entering this category. We both did OK and enjoyed our weekend. We were relieved to not be rowing on the Saturday with the conditions described as really challenging. Richard raced on the Sunday, but in a really old heavy boat called Slippen, they were a bit disappointed with their performance. On Monday we sailed to Tresco and enjoyed a walk around and a meal in the New Inn. We sailed home the next day, a good reasuringly, steady journey with our new engine.
After our slow return from Scilly we decided to have the engine checked. We have had several scary years of problems when entering and leaving harbours, marinas and moorings. We have sometimes been unable to get the gears to go into forward or reverse when required. This has meant that Richard mostly steered while Sue took charge of the ropes. After Richards research and enquiries we discovered it would be better to get a new engine and gear box rather than just a gearbox. We booked to have this done but were given no date. This meant abandoning our plans to sail the Brittany coast.
South West Coast Path
We have been walking the South West coast Path for ten years. From its start point in Minehead, the combes of North Devon, the rugged Cornish north coast to the gentler south Cornwall.
Due to our continuing engine problems we decided to focus on our coast path walking. On the 25th May 2024 we drove to Liskeard and took a train to Looe. This stretch of coast made using public transport a good option. Coast walking being linear means that you need a means of getting to and from the start and end points. On some walks we have to use car, two cars or even taxis.
We walked from Looe to Portwrinkle. We stayed overnight in prebooked accomodation. After a filling breakfast we continued our walk from Portwrinkle to Plymouth. We returned from Plymouth by train to Looe then car home.
Looe to Portwrinkle
Portwrinkle to Plymouth
Between Plymouth and Brixham
We completed one of our longest continual stretches of the coast path by using Captiva as our base. We completed 6 days of walking during an 11 day holiday. We enjoyed it very much, it was great having the sailing breaks in between long days of walking.
On the 22nd June we sailed Captiva to Fowey with Maisie our cat crew. We had a meal and stayed over night. The following day we sailed on to Newton Ferrers in the Yealm estuary.
On the 24th June we caught a bus to Plymouth and a ferry from Sutton harbour to Mountbatten. We then walked back to Yealm.
25th June we walked from Noss Mayo (on the opposite side of the estuary) and walked to Bigbury and Burgh Island. We caught a taxi back to Noss Mayo.
26th June we sailed to Salcombe
27th June Caught a taxi in Salcombe back to Bigbury then walked to Salcombe.
28th June Walked from Salcombe to Torcross. We caught a bus back to Salcombe.
29th June we sailed to Dartmouth.
30th June Walked to Dartmouth from Torcross
1st July Walked from Dartmouth to Brixham and returned by steam train
2nd July Sailed home from Dartmouth without autohelm and very slow engine and gear box problems. Lefy at 7:10 am and arrived at home mooring at 9:30pm
Brixham to Dawlish
17th August We took part in a Masters Gig rowing event at Paignton. The mens masters came first in the plate final. The ladies masters rowed well and finished in the middle. It was fun but a very long day. We had parked our car in the Paignton station car park and stayed overnight in a hotel.
18th August After a good breakfast we caught a bus to Brixham. We walked from Brixham to Torquay. We stayed overnigh at Babbacombe.
19th August We walked from Torquay to Dawlish. We caught a train from Dawlish back to Paignton then drove home.
The Great River Race London 21st September
After steady training during August and September we took part in the Great River Race. The training was about building endurance and we steadily incrreased our periods of rowing until we were rowing 2 hours. We felt incredibly fit.
On the 20th September Richard towed the gig Pinnacle to the start point at Millwall in East London. It was a very long day because after dropping off the gig we had to take the empty trailer across London to the finishing point at Richmond. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Twickenham.
On the 21st September a bus had been laid on for participants. We were taken over the river to the start point at Millwall.
It was an amazing and unforgettable day. We rowed along the Thames passing all the major sites of London. We each rowed for at least two hours and completed the row in an impressive 2 hours 38 minutes.
Further 2024 highlights
Captiva was lifted from the water on the 1st September for a new engine and gearbox to be fitted. She returned to the water on the 19th October. We decided to keep her in the marina over the winter rather than lifting out again. This gave us a chance to test the new engine.
We slept aboard Captiva before an early morning start
Maisie settling in ready for new adventures
1st May
We dropped our mooring at 6am and motor sailed down the Lizard against a light wind. Once past Lizard point we had the wind slightly helping us.
And we’re offEarly morning lightMaisie testing her sea legs
After a longer than expected sail we arrived at 6pm in time for the meal we had booked at the Turks head in St Agnes
2nd May
Morning views of St Agnes
After a leisurely wander around the south side of St Agnes we motored to Hugh Town on the nearby island of St Marys.
3rd May
Friday was the day for the vets, supervets and masters races. Sue rowed in the ladies supervets race from St Agnes to St Marys. We were hoping to not come last but after a great start we were in the middle of the other gigs and beat our A team!!
Richard rowed in the new Mens Masters category for the St Agnes race.
In the afternoon were the races from Nut Rock and the LSVB team again beat the A team : )
At the start line (picture by M Grigg)Penarrow (B team) crossing finish line ahead of Zawn (A team)Ladies Supervets A and B teams
The Mens Masters finished 3rd in their category earning them a bronze medal.
4th-5th May
Richard was in the Open races on Saturday and Sunday. They finished 111 out of 132 boats. They had borrowed a local boat called Bonnet which was originally built in 1830 and is one of the oldest gigs.
Proud medal winner
6th-7th May
We enjoyed a day on the island of St Martins before sailing home the following day. We had a relatively long journey mostly motoring. The autohelm kept cutting out and we seemed slower than usual.
Views across St MartinsThe slow 14 hour journey home
Once out of the water Richard worked hard to prepare Captiva for 2024. He added a new cockpit canopy which looks really cosy.
A sheltered spot for a coffee once Captiva was back afloat6th March
We managed to spend some time on the water during the winter months rowing and training for the International Gig Rowing Championships. We rowed in all weathers around the Fal estuary.
Evening training row 12th March
Our first race of the season (and Sue’s first ever race) was 24th March at the Helford Mini Scillies. The conditions were quite difficult but it was a great experience.
Richard rowing with the B team (Gigrower Magazine)Richard with the Mens Masters, he did two races!Sue with the ladies supervets B team, this picture was on the cover of the parish magazine : )
Have been fortunate to have done other exciting things since our last post but am focusing here on adventures of a splishy splashy nature.
I first met the Fergusons when I was 9 years old and incarcerated in the Blue Cross Cattery. After 3 months there and 3 months at a vets, I was ready for a new home.
When Richard sat in my cage at the cattery, well, I knew, he was the one. I made an enormous fuss of him. I wasn’t sure about sharing Richard with Sue, now that I had found him, but it’s good having two humans looking after me. Sue was a bit more tricky, but I think I have her trained now. I have mellowed with age, I’m even quite nice to visitors now.
November 2016 when I moved to Northamptonshire with the FergiesVisiting Cornwall in 2018
Little did I know what I had let myself in for. First there were long car journeys to Cornwall followed by living in this big tall house by the sea. Of course I knew nothing about the wet sploshy sea, it was just a blue blob I could see from the comfort of Richards office on the hill. Apart from having to sneak past the terrible Thompson twins (next doors black and white cats), I was quite happy with my life beside the sea.
A thinner me, sitting in the garden
I was enjoying a fairly settled life until last winter when Richard took me to the boat when it was not on the water. I quite liked it, Richard all to myself. Little did I know what they were planning!! Next I was on a moving boat, then sleeping overnight on the boat. We had a splishy sploshy Scilly adventure. Actually I quite liked not being left locked up in the cattery but it was a shock to the system to a cat of my 16 years.
Practice boat trip
Being a mature cat I expect my humans to work to my routine. On the boat it was much easier to control them. If my food bowl was empty or I wanted some company when it started to get light, they could hear my plaintive calls very clearly. They seemed a bit grumpy and half asleep though, but it’s comfortable for me being lifted on to their bed at 3:30 in the morning.
Getting comfy
Sometimes everything started moving around like crazy. They wouldn’t let me go into the front cabin because it became like a washing machine (what does that mean?) The indignity of it, I got shoved in the back cabin with the door shut. I suppose it was a bit calmer in there, but the engine was very noisy. Sometimes it was worse when the engine was switched off. The whole cabin tilted at an alarming angle.
Coping with boats tilt
Once, the cabin started raining cat food, which would have been good under normal circumstances, but all I could do was hide in my backpack at the end of the cabin until it became calm again.
In my back cabin
I didn’t go out much, I looked out a few times but all I could see was wide open spaces. It was good travelling on Richard’s back in my backpack, as it meant I was still close to him and coud keep an eye on things. Every time they took me out it was to have needles stuck in me and my blood drawn out. Apparently I am hyperthyroid and before I met Bill, the Cornish vet, I was losing lots of weight. I am now a lot healthier. Sue gives me drugs twice a day, and I’ve become tolerant of that too. I’m such a good kitty.
Venturing outside
We are safely back home and this obviously came as a pleasant surprise to me. It seemed strange at first, so much space. I have visited the vet and am surprisingly sprightly after the ordeal of becoming the cat that sailed around the UK. You will be pleased to know that I’m still managing to keep control of the Fergies, I’ve learnt that a little nip to their bare feet keeps them in line. Though I am listening very carefully for any discussions about future adventures……
