Gillaroo

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Plans and crew
The Build
2003

Design
Model
Workshop & Table
Infusion
2004
Assembling hulls
2005
Hull Bulkheads
Bridgedeck Floor
Superstructure
2006
Completing Shell
Interior
2007
Painting
Interior
Exterior
2008
Completion
Rig
Summary
Time and Materials
Links and Suppliers

The Launch
2008
First time
Relaunch

Cruising
2008

Ireland
N.Spain
Portugal & Tarifa
Canaries

Cruising
2009

St Vincent & Grenadines
Trinidad & Tobago
Dutch Antilles
San Blas Islands (Panama)
San Blas canoes
Panama
Panama Canal
Panama - Perlas Islands
Galapagos
Galapagos
Marquesas
Marquesas
Tuomotos
Societies
Societies
Cooks
Cooks
Niue
Tonga
Tonga
New Zealand


N. Spain and Portugal. September 2008.

Stopped off in Crosshaven, Cork because of rough weather off Biscay. Got our Screecher fixed (the boltrope had a construction flaw). McWilliams told us he would write to Calvert and tell him how to make sails properly ! Got charged by the yacht club for using their mooring buoy.

The tri is Tom’s F36 on the way to Spain. He was just a toutch faster than us under main and screecher, but we caught up when he took his down in the night because he didn’t have enough power to run the autopilot.
Had a great sail to Corunna, took 3 days, f3-5 winds almost the whole way and we were mostly getting along at 8-10 knots, our best day was 216nm. Boat handling very well, very smooth and hardly an uncomfortable moment. Lots of ships as we approached Spain, sailed through two shipping lanes and a trawler fleet in the dark. It was all OK except one moment when we were working on reefing the main and having just passed a fishing boat he decided to start up and head straight on a collision course. Junty and Neil got a bit confused by a cruiser that was showing blue lights but eventually came to the conclusion it was the disco ! Just lovely being out on the water with the boat running well, watching all the seabirds and quite a few dolphins. Got visited by several Swifts, one of which collapsed during the night.

Corunna was attractive town and we picked up the only free mooring in the bay. You can just about see us in the picture from the castle sitting outside the marina.

Baiona.

The X-Ray is my tooth which had been causing some discomfort - had an interesting dialogue with the dentist who spoke even less English than my Spanish.

Full scale replica of the Pinta which made first landfall here.

Crew of O-Flo over to dinner. Seven of them on a smaller cat than us doing a similar route. Just too tight to get 11 around our saloon table

Cascais, near Lisbon.

Stopped for a few days while the crew visited the capital by train. Liked the look of this sailing Moth on hydrofoils. He went past too fast for me to ask to have a go.