Crew

 Two crew with me for the first leg. 

Gavin Johnson, 56, Dublin & Clifden, is a data analyst & website tech. Married with 3 children. His parents, who passed away in recent years, and I were very close since 2001. They sort of adopted me into their family of three sons. Which was strange at first, but what a great feeling it was, and we had so much fun together. Gavin single hands small boats, & helps out on racing boats.

                                         Gavin swims every day, winter & summer.
                     A great habit to have when travelling on a small boat without a shower. 

Paul Murphy, 62, County Clare, is an ecological impact assessor. This requires a profound knowledge of various ecosystems and their various denizens, - the birds, bees, flowers, so on. Great knowledge of plants, and of birds & bird calls. We met at Greenland in 2022, and we instantly spent an hour on our hands & knees, examining the microflora - delightful. A motorcycle enthusiast, he is nearing full recovery from an accident in which he broke 8 ribs. Though not a sailor, he is a very good kayaker & he is great with rope.

                                        Paul watching birds & listening to their calls.