We finally set off.

I finished a commercial shoot up in the Midlands as the last time I planned on being on set. From now on my excellent team will have the helm at the studio whilst my family and I set off on what we hope very much will be a life better spent. I'll keep all the boring jobs on my plate though; Vat returns, Accounting, BD and firefighting.

Straight after wrap, I headed from the Midlands down to Portland, Dorset and hopped aboard Juna. Steph and the children had done a great job of readying the boat for passage, this was a great help and a really good start for setting sail as a family. Ship shape and Bristol fashion

Since we are not a family of old salts, we are very much learning as we go along, I reckon that this will be the way for every single day we spend afloat. In recent months, we've done much together aside from sailing to prepare as much as we can. As a family Steph and I completed our RYA Dayskipper course whilst Flossie and Beau complete their RYA Competent Crew all aboard Juna. Id recommend this approach to anyone who is thinking to do the same. Own boat tuition is incredibly valuable. Just as one point, we would have never chosen to set out in winds around 30-40knots, but on our Course we were able to really learn and gain confidence in Juna in these very conditions - all whilst having the support of a seasoned professional. We also complete our RYA first aid together, as well as Sofia doing her RYA Powerboat level 2 and Beau cracking on with his dinghy quals.

We slipped lines from Portland at 2230 on 2nd July 2026, with our good friends Jez and Tery on hand to see us off, but no fuss of course. Conditions were fine and a F4 Northerly was exactly what the doctor ordered for a stress free crossing of Lyme Bay. Being treated by dolphins the next morning was very welcome and come lunch time we safely arrived in Salcombe on a mooring ball right in the best spot after a straight forward 14 hour crossing. We stayed in Salcombe for a week before moving on, and made the very most of sun and beaches. What a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with many relatives before we left for shores afar.

Thankyou to all who spent time with us.