OVER THE HORIZON

He took his time doing it but when John Brennan finally plucked up the courage to make his first offshore passage, the rewards made it all worthwhile

- John Brennan

I have been boating for over 40 years in everything from kayaks and speedboats to my current Redbay 1450, Dromquinnaa. In that time I must have covered over 25,000 nautical miles roughly the equivalent of circumnavigating the world. However, 90% of this has simply been cruising around my local waters of Ireland and Scotland with occasional holiday charters in Croatia and the Caribbean.

Despite all those miles and the perception that I am nominally an experienced boat owner, I had never lost sight of land. I suspect, like many people, I simply find it more reassuring to stay in sight of land even though it’s a false sense of security as most accidents happen close to home.

Since buying Dromquinna I have wanted to conquer that fear and pass the point where I am alone at sea, trusting in my own abilities to get us safely to our destination. The buzz of adventure, the excitement of arriving in a new place with a different culture, and the sense of accomplishment that goes with it, is all part of the boating dream. I'd been dreaming of it for 40 years but now it was time to make it happen.

ALL IN THE PLANNING