Roving Rear Commodore Rhys Walters sets off on a world cruise

Niamh and Rhys, just after the Biscay crossing with Spain in the background © Rhys Walters

We have the rare opportunity to follow Rhys and his partner Niamh as they start out on a journey to parts unknown while working their way around the world on their home-fitted yacht, Zora.

I have just finished my latest update for the Flying Fish, where we ran an account of last year's cruising from Ireland to Wales, and then on to Spain and Portugal. It seems odd summarising the entire trip in a few pages of text because I could nearly write a full article on each day of sailing considering how many ups and downs we experienced between black eyes, engine failures, fouled propellers, and the massive delays brought on by Covid-19 and Brexit, which effectively stranded us in a boatyard in Wales for the summer. That is, however, the life you lead as a sailor, and especially as a sailor of a (mostly) home-built boat.

The few of you who know the boat and her story know that myself (Rhys) and my partner Niamh bought her in a boatyard in Ireland as a totally bare shell with no deck hardware, interior, engine etc. and over the course of three and a half years we fitted a full interior, all electrics, new mast, new engine, sails and all the gear a boat needs to sail long distances comfortably. We did the vast majority of the work by ourselves and called in help with the more intricate joinery and sailmaking. It took a heavy toll on us both, especially towards the end, but we now have a very capable "go anywhere" boat that has really proved herself over the last 6 months of sailing.

We left Kinsale, our home port, in April 2021 with the goal of heading to Greystones over the course of a few days, then hop to Wales to fit a new mast, engine and sails. We had so many issues on our way there that it ended up taking over a week just to get as far as Greystones. Day 1 we only managed to travel 3 miles to a nearby anchorage due to an engine problem, and I had a black eye before the anchor was down thanks to a dodgy boat hook and Niamh. The days got progressively better as we both got used to the boat a bit more, and although we had more problems like a lobster pot on the prop and water pump failure, for the most part, it was a fun trip. We got to Wales in one piece, and by the end of that week the boat was sitting in the yard waiting for the engine, mast and sails.

Thanks to various delays, we ended up in the yard for months and used the time to repaint the boat, water tank and fit some more plumbing. It all sounds so easy when you write it down. Later that summer, we launched the boat and made way for Spain with a good friend as crew crossing a very placid Biscay, and making landfall in La Coruna. It was a mostly uneventful trip with light winds and no boat problems, which I took as a win.

Our confidence and competence have steadily increased with every mile we do together, with both of us being relatively inexperienced. I have done plenty of sailing including a transatlantic but it's very different to be a skipper than to be crew. Niamh started off with absolutely no miles at all and has learned steadily the whole way.

Our season in Spain and Portugal saw us taking our time and moving as slowly as possible. We both work remotely and because it was off-season, we spent the majority of our time between passages in Marinas in hopes of getting good wifi, which was never actually good enough to work, so we just used our phones as hotspots. The boat has performed very well, proving to be very comfortable and safe without being too slow. It's hard to believe that four years ago it was a bare shell, and now it is our home and our means to see the world.

Hopefully for a long time to come.

sailingyachtzora.com

This article has been provided by the courtesy of Ocean Cruising Club.