A Foolish Escape

After eight years building a 38-foot catamaran in a Midlands barn, Neil Hawkesford finally had his boat in the water. Now came the real test: sailing her south to the Mediterranean with his partner Gail, a complete novice to sailing.

A Foolish Escape follows their journey from a muddy Cornish creek to the Spanish coast. They cross Biscay-the stretch of water that nearly killed Hawkesford three decades earlier-experiencing bioluminescent dolphins at midnight and gale-force winds off the Galician cliffs. They navigate the Portuguese coast, winter in Lagos, and discover a hidden paradise on the Guadiana river straddling the Spanish-Portuguese border.

The voyage continues through Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean, where they find an unlikely home in the ancient port of Cartagena. Over five years of liveaboard life, they learn that escape isn't quite what they imagined. The same restless mind travels with you wherever you go.

This is not a tale of non-stop adventure. Long periods pass in quiet anchorages and friendly marinas. There are bureaucratic frustrations, electrical failures, and the constant challenge of living in a small space. Hawkesford writes honestly about the stress of being solely responsible for another person's safety at sea, and about discovering that even while living the dream, the blues can still find you.

The book concludes with a difficult decision. Circumstances change, capabilities are honestly assessed, and Gleda-the boat that brought so much meaning to their lives-finds a new owner who will take her across the Atlantic and beyond.

Part sailing narrative, part meditation on what it means to truly escape, this is the final volume of the Foolish Trilogy.