When venturers boarded Helen Mary R in the wet and misty morning of Thursday 25 July, they still didn’t know where they were going. Somewhere sunnier than Cornwall, perhaps?
They were welcomed at Fowey Gallants Sailing Club by skipper Matt Barraud, who with his wife Vicky runs the Morvargh Sailing Project, and crew member Josey.
They were ferried across to the Helen Mary R in groups.
After various briefings, the crew took them up and down the Fowey river for some sailing practice and they spent the night at their moorings.
It was only early on Friday morning that we learned where they were headed in a message from Matt: ‘An early start for us this morning. Starboard watch up at 0400, greeted by dolphins shortly after. We’re now motoring as sadly no wind. ETA Guernsey around 2300 tonight.‘
Busy shipping lanes to negotiate mid-Channel.
Not much wind, but at least they found some good weather.
And at 21.00 another message from Matt: ‘Hey all, just a quick message to say we are safely tied alongside in Guernsey! A great passage across, and now about to enjoy peaches and evaporated milk after a fantastic sausage casserole with mash.’
We wish them well for the next leg of their voyage, rumoured to be somewhere in France, and you can follow their progress on Facebook and Instagram.