Just before 2am I came on deck for the 2-5 watch. I was sleepy and slightly queasy from the westerly swell coming in from the Atlantic, making it a balancing act to pull on waterproof trousers and boots by my bunk in the forepeak. Night watches on a sailing ship can be dull and cold, continue reading »
Amongst many things this pandemic time has taught us patience and flexibility. When events we look forward to may or may not go ahead, we learn to be resigned if they don’t and delighted when they do. I had been planning an exhibition of small sketches based on my year on the river as part continue reading »
That’s quite enough of my travels – at least for now. This blog post is for those of you who like the idea of keeping a visual diary and have asked me about it, so I’ve had a look at what I took with me and my approach to sketching on the go. Of course continue reading »
Penguins, shipwrecks and whalebones – the Falkland Islands When Captain Fitzroy and the ‘Beagle’ arrived at the Falklands in March 1833, Charles Darwin’s diary notes: ‘The first news we received to our astonishment, that English had taken possession of the Falkland Islands and that the flag was now flying. These islands have been for some continue reading »
Sea, sails and sketchbook – Rapa Nui to Falklands via Cape Horn When I was a child I had a globe. I’ve always loved maps and as we moved every few years it was good to spin the globe and see where our next home was going to be. Usually I kept it with the continue reading »