A sporadic blog of my time aboard Molly of Mylor. We are based in the Solent and take advantage of the numerous interesting places to visit in the area of the English Channel. We regularly attend OGA rallies for gaff-rigged boats, both in the Solent area and further afield. We also like to make occasional cruises over longer distances. Much of what goes on is recorded in my YouTube Channel called Meandering Molly, but I post here in between videos and especially on trips.

  1. Summer cruise - France and Channel Islands

    Niki and I have not long returned from a two week cruise to Northern Brittany and the Channel Islands. We came back sooner than hoped, due to some “traditional” British bank holiday…

  2. [Video] Raymarine EV-100 after a season

    This upload reviews how I’ve got on with my EV-100 tiller pilot, after about 500 miles. I did not install a dedicated display for it and wondered if I would miss it. Short answer: no. It’s…

  3. I can’t go on holiday without looking at boats

    Niki and I have just returned from a (non-sailing) trip to Norway. We did see some excellent ships whilst we were there though. Next week we begin our summer cruise aboard Molly…

  4. West Country Meanderings

    This season we have managed several rallies and a long trip in the Summer. It kicked off at the end of July when Niki and I set off, accompanied with Brian of Puffin Bach , to deliver…

  5. OGA in Gloucester

    The 2025 AGM for the gaffers’ association was held in historic Gloucester, at the confluence of the mighty Severn river and the Sharpness canal. National AGM’s don’t have an inspiring…

  6. Video: standing mast route to Dordrecht

    I’ve been busy editing the video clips from this summer and posted an episode on my YouTube channel. This one covers the journey from Hellevoetsluis to Dordrecht (covered in this blog post…

  7. From Canal to Channel

    Nieuwpoort light I left Nieuwpoort before light and experienced that sailor’s privilege, to see the sun rise out of the sea. I made my way close inshore against the last of the eastgoing…

  8. The last lock

    With the strong south westerlies from the remnant of storm Ernesto finally abating, it was time to leave the seclusion of the canal system and return to la mer . Leaving Middelburg Exiting…

  9. Return to Middleburg

    A peaceful sunrise in Oude Tonge The weather was still pretty boisterous and also straight out of the SW, so we had a day of motoring into the wind from Oude Tonge, through the Krammer…

  10. Hidden havens

    Numansdorp harbour at the end of its canal An advantage of travelling with a local is that you see places that might well otherwise pass beneath the radar. Our latest two stops are good…

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