Video Archive

Have noted a reduction in the amount of plastic in the water in recent weeks. North Spain and the west part of the French Mediterranean: no plastic slicks to report. On land there's plastic to find if you're on the look out, but what there is isn't necessarily recent. Maybe just a south Med problem? Someone else's problem?

Nope. Sigh. The Cote D'Azur is stunning - and I'll pull together some of the nicer pictures and post those too, another time - but for today a dose of sad reality: water borne plastic the last two days sailed has been at depressing levels.

In the Mediterranean, sailing within a mile of land, it is rare to sail for more than a few minutes without seeing at least fragments of plastic. Ghostly plastic bags are as common as jellyfish, and areas dense with plastic - as shown - are encountered more days than not.

The price of plastic - and stuff in general - does not come close to reflecting the true cost to the planet and its inhabitants. Real prices that consider the consequences of consumption would help us consume more sensibly.

Short clip heading past Valencia port. Nice to have to breeze so not hanging around where the traffic is heaviest.

Lots of these strange fish. They appear injured, but swim off apparently healthy enough if bumped. This one on approach to Valencia.

Come on board for two and a half minutes during the run from Sesimbra to Milfontes, Portugal!

A tough decision whether to attempt to get round Cape Finisterre yesterday. In favour of going: wind guaranteed, swell not huge, Cape approx 15nm away - doesn't sound far. In favour of choosing to wait: no real wind arriving until the afternoon due to become too strong later, forecast direction a headwind, swell quite big enough. Shouldn't influence decision but does: more and bigger swell on the way.

In the end I decided to head out and see. If, by 13:00, still more than 10nm to go - then head back.

Rounding Estaca de Bares, Spain's most northerly point. A fishing boat gave me an encouraging blast of their fog horn in the lee of the cape. Then the rain came and obscured all company and sight of land. I sailed out for sea room, until the shadow of a eastbound ship came into view, then tacked for the eventual shelter of the port of Cariño, tucked in behind the next point. Despite the grimy weather, conditions were good and fast.

Spoiler Alert - this clip is SLOW TV!

I am super excited to offer you my contribution to the genre of Slow TV.

Inspired by Norwegian TV and their 134 hour live broadcast of a Hurtigruten ship sailing the whole Bergen to Kirkenes route.

You might get an idea of how this sort of sailing is kind of... meditative. The scenery is (somewhere) between Puerto de Vega, Asturias and Ribadeo, Galicia.

Turn the sound up for gurgling noises.

Llanes to Gijón. 41 nautical miles. The final sail of the original Severne Turbo 9.2. We've come a long way - from the Arctic to Asturias. This last sail it completed with two fresh holes - the films just don't have anything left now, the UV has done for them. Nice to give the sail a proper send off though. Even feel a bit nostalgic. New sail tomorrow.

Light winds today but a smaller swell. A sail, paddle, sail, paddle day. Moved from San Sebastián to Getaria, and had company :)