I left the Solent in a boat in 2014 for the first time. It was a dirty great big, brand spanking new Lagoon 52 catamaran, basically a floating apartment block, and I was alone on board with my then partner who was an extremely experienced sailor.

I, however, was not,. You have to start somewhere, right?

We had a bumpy start to that passage, chucked around in the overfalls and the filthy seas that are caused by a fast-moving current over a shallowing and uneven sea bed, plus a little wind against tide as we came through the Needles. We got soaked, and our autopilot couldn’t cope with it at all - actually, it got extremely confused and at one point wanted to sail us straight onto the cliffs. Not ideal!

Once we were out the other side though, it was a beautiful and calm passage down to the Channel Islands. And this was the sunrise that greeted us. The beginning of my real sailing adventures. A fresh start and a brand new day.

Oil on canvas, 40cm square, framed in solid wood.

£400

Also available unframed if preferred - please enquire.