I would say it was an intense experience with no let up from the physical and mental burden which all skippers feel. There are other words I would use too. Responsibility, for the safety of each of my friends and crew, and the boat. Great fun, recalling the many moments of humour, some dark, some irreverent, some directed at me! Great friendship, shared with crew who are not always at their best at 4 in the morning, or who are feeling sea sick but still contribute without complaint. Humility, when I recall that 20 people gave up hard earned family and work commitments to take part in my challenge...which became their challenge too. Gratitude, to West Suffolk Hospital for monitoring my INR levels while I was away. Admiration, for the fantastic Broadblue boat itself which sailed and looked after us so well and never caused us any worry, however big the sea and hard the wind. Awe, for the beautiful island of Britain which we inhabit, but so little of which we had visited. Appreciation, for the professional standard of care extended by the Coastguard who looked out for us all the way round. Thanks, for my family who indulged my obsession and took up the slack while I was away.
For those who like statistics, here are some which might be of interest:
Distance traveled over the ground: 2,211nm (we added on a few locations as we were running ahead of schedule).
Of this, the tide gave us 243nm.
53pct sailed (though sometimes no sailing for several days of there as no wind)
42 places visited.
43 days of sailing/motoring.(England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, Orkneys)
1 overnight passage.
135nm longest non-stop passage
1 day lost for bad weather.
1 proper emergency (jammed rope needed to be cut in Grimsby lock to prevent us hanging)
9 may days and 5 pan pans overheard within a 20nm radius of us.
37 knots highest gust of wind
34 knots highest sustained wind speed
14 knots highest speed SOG while surfing
12.4knots highest sustained speed SOG
Minimum people on board, just me during my solo
Maximum people on board 4
20 crew met and despatched around the country
12,650 approx crew miles travelled to/from the boat/home.
0 No. of scratches or damage to hull
0 fishing nets or pots snared
Wear and tear to boat: one mis aligned lower spreader, one galley drawer needs attention.
10,000 approx litres of water used
1,100 litres of fuel used (2 engines)
Sailing past Shotley lock, about to drop sails
In the meantime, carpe diem!