The Alba Chronicles

The Alba Chronicles

This is a daily blog of our latest travels on-board our 42 foot sailing yacht, "Alba".  

Clicking on any photograph will display an enlargement, clicking on an anchorage name will display the location of the anchorage in Google Maps and we've even created links to various creatures that we've photographed along the way - so if you don't know what a Gold Spotted Snake Eel looks like, you can now find out.

 

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Alba in Mayreau

Welcome to the Alba Chronicles.

This is a diary of our travels on-board our 42 foot sailing yacht, "Alba".  Glenys and I have sold our house and land-bound possessions, bought a boat and the intention is to continue cruising until we're too old to carry on.

Providing that we can get Internet access, we'll be posting diary entries every week - we hope that you enjoy following our voyage.

We have an interactive mapping section where you can view Our latest location and some of the Anchorages that we have visited.

You can also download the Alba Chronicles as an eBook from the Downloads page


Neville Howarth.

Cruising Notes

This section contains a set of Cruising Notes, which we have complied for some of the more remote areas that we have visited.  

We have included navigational information where appropriate, but we take no responsibility for how you use it.

2011 - Eastern Caribbean

We packed six hold-all bags and left the security of our home in the UK to fly to Grenada to pick up our new floating home.

During the rest of the year, we sailed in the Windward Islands, Trinidad, Venezuela and the ABC Islands.  The highlight of the year was undoubtedly our trip up the Manamo River in Venezuela.

2012 - Caribbean and USA

After a family Christmas in Grenada, we headed north, sailed up the Leeward Islands and onto Puerto Rico.  We then quickly sailed through the Bahamas and arrived in the USA at the beginning of June.

Our first stop was in the Chesapeake, where we hauled out and spent two months working hard on our boat - replacing the standing rigging and some other major jobs.  We then sailed up to Maine and slowly worked our way south down the east coast to Florida.

2013 - Western Caribbean

At the beginning of the year, we headed off to Cuba and then worked our way south through the Western Caribbean to Panama, visiting Mexico, Belize and Jamaica.  After four months exploring the Caribbean side of Panama, we transited the Panama Canal; explored the jungle rivers of the Darien region; had a brief time in Costa Rica; and finished the year in Ecuador.

2014 - South Pacific

We started the year in Ecuador, travelling inland - horse riding, hiking and even climbing some mountains.  In March, we set off to the Galapagos Islands, and then continued sailing across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand, visiting French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga.  A busy year, racking up 8,000 miles.

2015 - NZ to Thailand

This was another hectic year, sailing 7,600 miles.  We left New Zealand in April, spent a couple of months in Vanuatu, then sailed through the Torres Straits via Papua New Guinea.  After three months sailing through Indonesia, we had a short stop in Singapore, then headed up the west coast of Malaysia and into Thailand.

2016 - Thailand and Malaysia

After a couple of years of intensive sailing, we had a bit of a rest year, hanging about around the Malay Peninsula.  We spent two months in a boatyard in Thailand, replacing our teak deck and had a fabulous two month cruise exploring the untouched Anambas Islands in Indonesia.

2017 - Indian Ocean

After a relatively lazy year, we were back to long distance sailing again - this time crossing the Indian Ocean.

2018 - South Atlantic Ocean

Crossed the South Atlantic Ocean and finished our circumnavigation in the West Indies.

2019 - West Indies to USA

We travelled to the East Coast of the USA via the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.  We sold Alba in the Cheasapeake.

Technical Notes

This section contains a set of Technical Notes, which I have complied for some of the larger jobs that we've done on Alba - it's all very dry stuff and not for the faint-hearted.  

Most of it relates specifically to our Hallberg Rassy 42F, but some information may be useful on other boats.

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