I mean why and how have I reached the point that I am starting to write these posts and develop this website.

Why am I adding to the huge amount of data that is held in servers across the world that eager writers try to get an increasingly weary consumers of the said data to read their small piece of writing. (was that sentance far too long??)

Because, I have over the years, developed a love of the ocean.

It wasn’t there significantly noticably when I was young. We went, as I am sure most people did(and still do), for a fortnight every summer to a beach somewhere.

I remember initial holidays to the north coast of France, Brittany, Carnac to be precise and its long rows of standing stones.

Of those holidays it is the campsite that stands out in my memory rather than the beach.  I remember getting into the car and trying not to sit with bare legs on the painfully hot plastic seats more than any memory of the beach.

In Cornwall I remember the white stream, coloured by the china clay much more than I remember jumping off the harbour wall. I know I jumped off the harbour wall, I remember my parents talking about it, but I don’t actually remember doing it. But I do remember sat in the field in the campsite next to pearly white stream.

In Devon I remember the brightly coloured windbreak and the polystyrene cups my parents would drink coffee out of throughout the day, more than I did of anytime spent in the sea.

I went to university in Exeter and lived there for many years afterwards and barely visited the coast.

I usually trapsed off to Dartmoor if I ever ventured out of the city. I knew that a trip out to the moors lifted my spirits but didn’t create the habit.

It wasn’t until my early 30s when a chance meeting led to some sailing adventures and an unfortunate new years eve heartbreak that led me to proclaim…I’m running away to sea…

To which I did…well not strictly run away…everyone knew where I was. I just got rid of most of my belongings and went off with a rucksack and holdall to become volunteer crew on various sailing vessels, both privately owned and owned by charities.

One of the trips I did I was crewing on a 40 ft yacht across Biscay. A sturdy trimaran that if you set the sails and helm just right would stay on course without you having to attend to either. A steady wind one night created conditions that made doing so very easy. And so I set the helm on our course that was sailing us directly into the path of bright, rising moon. It’s reflection on the sea, created a sparkling which I was sailing along.

And so with the helm and sails set, I moved to the front of the boat to sit at the bow with feet over the edge just inches from the water, to enjoy the moment.

And as I sat there enjoying the magic of the moment…a pod of dolphins swam and joined this otherwordly moment.

They played for a while in the bow wave just inches from my feet. All time seemed to stand still, I almost imagined that in that moment I had slipped inperceptively into  amagical realm nevre to be seen again.

And there it was, that and the many days spent gazing out at sea on watches. Both night and day. No wind out at sea can mean many days of just gazing out watching the sea and her many moods, and can eventually lead to falling in love.

And so there you have it…the start of a water adventure, loving watre i it’s many forms, ocean, river, stream, lake and even the swimming is fascinating to watch as children play causing many different ripples iteracting a myriad of different ways.

So what will this website be…to be honest I don’t know. Some thoughts of our blue space connection some photographs, maybe some links to resources.

It is just a journey about to begin…