14 Days to Go

admin Date , April 3, 2026 Sailing

Meet the Crew “Who Exactly Am I Sailing With?”

Every good sailing story starts with the boat…
But the real story? That’s always about the people on board. And in just 14 days, I’ll be stepping onto a yacht in Croatia with a crew that can only be described as… eclectically brilliant

Rosamund – Photographer-in-Chief (and Occasional Sailor)

First up — my wife, Rosamund. A Town Planner by profession… and a sailing enthusiast in a very particular way. She loves sailing boats.
Absolutely loves them. Just preferably from the bank… with a camera… while they sail past. To be fair, she has done:
Powerboating
RYA Level 1 sailing
But there are a few minor navigational challenges: The tiller has a habit of going the “wrong way”
Left and right are… flexible concepts
Port and starboard? Let’s call them aspirational
Still — she’s coming, she’s keen, and she takes excellent photos.
Every crew needs one of those.

John & Emi – The Unknown Quantities

Then we have John and his daughter Emi. What do I know about them? Almost nothing. Except:
They’re redoing the Day Skipper course
Which probably means they know far more than I do
So that’s reassuring… or slightly intimidating… I haven’t decided yet.

Judy & Steve – Sailing Fair Isle

Now this is where things get very interesting. Judy Aslett and Steve — the team behind Sailing Fair Isle.
Former UK broadcast journalists
Now full-time liveaboard sailors
Sailing the world on a beautiful Hans Christian 48T cutter-rigged yacht
They’ve: Crossed challenging waters like the Bay of Biscay
Documented real life at sea (not the glossy version!)
Switched from diesel to solar-powered living onboard
And now… They’ll be filming this trip. So no pressure there then. Not only that — they’re also: Learning to transition from monohull to catamaran sailing
Sailing alongside us on a second boat
Which means we might get: Two boats
Two perspectives
And hopefully… not two incidents

The Instructor – The Calm in the Storm

Somewhere in all this… There will also be a professional instructor onboard. Which is probably just as well. Because between:
My enthusiasm
Rosamund’s navigation system (left-ish / right-ish)
John and Emi quietly knowing what they’re doing
And Judy & Steve filming everything
Someone needs to be in charge.

Why This Crew Actually Works

Here’s the surprising thing… This isn’t a mismatch — it’s exactly what you want.
Complete beginners
Slightly confused intermediates
Returning sailors
Experienced cruisers

Everyone at a different level Which makes it: A perfect learning environment
A real-world crew dynamic
And probably… highly entertaining
Because sailing isn’t about perfection. It’s about: Learning together
Getting things wrong (safely!)
And improving with every tack, gybe… and mild panic

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

What could possibly go wrong? Actually… don’t answer that.

Follow the Journey

I’ll be documenting everything: The learning
The mistakes (there will be many)
The successes (hopefully at least one)
And what it’s really like to learn to sail at 65+
Follow along at: https://pmrsailing.uk
And on YouTube as the adventure unfolds