2025 Review and Stats.

 A very disappointing second half of the season, for the third year on the trot I had to cut short a cruise and this time rotten weather in September prevented a second cruise of any length so that despite an early start my distance sailed and days sailing were the lowest since the Covid abbreviated 2020 season. 

On the plus side I did spend a slightly higher proportion of my time at anchor and I avoided days stuck in horrendously expensive marinas that cost me so much in 2024. Also I had no breakages or breakdowns apart from the darn heater and diesel bug discovered when I got back to Milford Haven, but apart from labour and a few litres of fuel that didn't cost anything or delay me.

Statistics through September 2025 from my summary log kept in Excel:

Click to view,

2025 1st cruise: 84 days. 337.5 hours at sea, 27 night hours (minimal as many of the longer legs were in what counted for summer in Scotland), 1,602 nautical miles, 1,844 statute miles, 44 days at sea, 28 weather bound. 47 nights at anchor.

Second cruise just Milford to Padstow and back, 161 NM, 185 SM, 4 days sailing if you include the two short hops between Port Quin Bay and Padstow, 2 nights at anchor and 2 nights in Padstow. Very little diesel used on this trip 😀.

There was some excellent sailing around Scotland, Orkney and Shetland and the cruising chute and particulalry the spinnaker got a lot more use than normal. On the other hand there was still too much motoring for my liking, too many days weather bound (although well shy of the record in 2023) and I really needed the heater that broke down (again) shortly after leaving, I was using thermals almost every day until the middle of June - there was no heat wave up north! Thankfully there was little rain until I reached Stornoway on the way back. 

48 port / anchorage calls was well down on previous years but 29 of those where visited for the first time which was good.

Now a very long wait until next years cruise, starting in late March or April and probably around Ireland with an excursion to the Hebrides. Then after several aborted attempts hopefully the Channel Islands with a stop off in the Scillies one way or the other - or both.