Ocean Bois

What started as a conversation over pints in Dublin somehow became a real thing.

A few years ago, Ryan and Liam O’Sullivan were talking about sailing around Spain and Portugal. Like most big ideas, it sounded sensible enough in a pub. The difference is that this one didn’t stay in the pub.
Ocean Bois follows that journey.

The route began on Spain’s northern coast, with the first landfall in San Sebastián before continuing west through Bilbao, A Coruña and the Rías Baixas. Since then, the voyage has carried us down the Portuguese coast through Porto, Lisbon, Sagres and Lagos before rounding Cape St. Vincent and eventually reaching Cádiz.

Along the way we’ve dealt with rough weather, mechanical problems, long passages, marina life, unexpected delays and the strange reality of living for months aboard a 35-foot boat. Some days are dominated by navigation and weather forecasts. Others are spent searching for spare parts, fixing things that worked perfectly the day before, or simply trying to find somewhere decent to do a load of washing.

The blog isn’t a sailing manual and it isn’t a travel guide.

It’s a record of what actually happens when two brothers spend long periods together at sea.

Some posts focus on passages and navigation decisions. Others drift into conversations with harbour masters, evenings in old port towns, chance encounters with fellow sailors and the small routines that slowly become normal when your home floats.

Recent entries follow our progress through southern Spain as we continue exploring new harbours, planning the next leg of the journey and trying to stay one step ahead of both the weather and our own questionable decision-making.

If you’re new here, a good place to start is with the journey from San Sebastián, the passage through Galicia’s Rías Baixas, the run down Portugal’s Atlantic coast and the crossing into Cádiz.

The destination remains flexible.

The adventure continues.