Kalessin of Orwell is a 33-foot sailboat purchased in 2004 by Sam, Camilla, Guy and Ben as a family sailing vessel. They spent two years preparing the boat for an extended voyage, upgrading equipment and systems. Their plan was for Guy to take a gap year after school and Ben to be homeschooled, and to spend summer 2006 sailing along the coasts of Britain, France and Spain before wintering in the Mediterranean. They departed from Suffolk Yacht Harbour in June 2006 and spent the next four months cruising the coasts of Brittany and northern Spain, with Guy joining for the first six weeks, before wintering in Portugal.

1. Kalessin of Orwell Round the outside and back up the middle, 2006-8 Part 1 – preparation & departure

4. Kalessin’s layout L-shaped galley Big cockpit locker (with holding tank beneath) Spacious heads Aft cabin Guy then Ben Forepeak cabin Sam & Camilla Conventional saloon layout

6. Ben Sam Guy & Camilla

11. preparation

17. Main saloon

18. Under-sink cupboard with two new batteries

19. New Vetus water lock, seen from aft cabin

20. Spot the chart table

21. The holding tank finally arrives

22. Holding tank in situ Note ferocious chiselling

23. Do we really need all this?

25. Departure

26. Leaving SYH, 6am

27. Calais 19-22 June Boulogne 23 June Dieppe 24 June

28. Calais (4 nights)

29. At last… Cap Gris Nez

30. Skipped Fecamp! Le Havre 25 June Honfleur 26 June St-Vaast 27 June Cherbourg 28 June

31. Honfleur… fantastic

32. Schoolwork in the Baie de la Seine…

33. St Peter Port 29 June – 2 July Sark 3 July Lezardrieux 4-5 July Treguier 6-7 July Morlaix 10-11 July Trebeurden 8-10 July

34. Little Russell… hot, no wind, no land…

35. An emotional moment – Sam helms Kalessin between the St Peter Port pierheads

36. All the boys

37. In and out of Ploumanac’h (low water)

38. If you must go aground on the Trebeurden sill, try not to do it on the night of the France-Italy match…

39. Morlaix

40. L’Aberwrach 12 July Brest 13-15 July Camaret 16 July Audierne 17 July Loctudy 18-19 July Benodet 20-21 July Port la Foret 22-23 July Ile de Groix 24-25 July Lorient 26-27 July Guy flies home Sauzon, Belle-Ile 28 July Quiberon/Morbihan 29 July-4 August

41. Our first swell As Hugo Vihlen* once commented, "I don't know who named them swells. There's nothing swell about them. They should have been named awfuls" * he crossed the Atlantic in a 5ft 4in sailing boat

42. Camaret

43. Raz de Sein on a non-scary day

44. Île de Groix

45. Lorient station – farewell to Guy, who flew home from Nantes

46. La Trinité, racing centre of France…

47. … and a great place for repairs

48. Ben liked the grass… … but preferred the chi-chis

49. Weather information

50. The hurdle race… Finisterre Biscay Chenal du Four/Raz de Sein Channel crossing Race of Alderney etc etc etc

51. Across the Bay of Biscay….