Brilliant blog from Ramsgate to Mahon

[Sea Devil]

This blog is a brilliant read with really excellent photographs - well worth the visit

https://sailingsynergy.com/page/10/

Rewind two and half years ago when I first met Chris! He had been sailing on and off since 1991 and one of his ambition’s was to buy a boat and sail to the Med. It sounded a great idea at the time – especially when you are sat in a pub and just getting to know each other. Pipe dreams at the time but now two and a half years later that dream has become a reality and we really are on our way down to the Med!

They are soon leaving Gib bound for Corfu.... They coasted from Suffolk Yacht Harbour to France, down the French Atlantic and Spanish then Portuguese coasts to Gib. Last year to Mahon and back.

I really recommend it if you are thinking of going that way..............

 

[KellysEye]

Having started the first Web design company in the UK there are number of issues that would put people off the site. First the black background, it hasn't been used for decades it looks like an undertaker's site. Second every page starts with a picture the boat, boring. ThIrd the links to pages should be at the top of the front page as every other site has, on that site you have to scroll down to find them. Looking at the source code (right click on the page) it looks to be well writtten but basic mistakes have been made. You might want to pass this on for changes to be made.

 

[Edwin]

Having started the first Web design company in the UK there are number of issues that would put people off the site. First the black background, it hasn't been used for decades it looks like an undertaker's site. Second every page starts with a picture the boat, boring. ThIrd the links to pages should be at the top of the front page as every other site has, on that site you have to scroll down to find them. Looking at the source code (right click on the page) it looks to be well writtten but basic mistakes have been made. You might want to pass this on for changes to be made.

Oh dear!!!

all my working life as a director I firmly believed in content over style.

I am sure all that you write is correct but have you made that passage from the UK to Mahon with so little experience? Of course it is bravely going where others have been before but after Columbus............ It was still a long way

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It appears to be back to front starts of around Weymouth then works backwards, I lost interest quickly I am afraid.

 

[RupertW]

Navigation massively annoying - having to go to the bottom work then work downwards for each blog then back up again to the next one etc. etc. However although I found the first few blogs very ordinary I did enjoy their enjoyment of Brittany and Biscay, and good on them for doing it.

 

[KellysEye]

>I am sure all that you write is correct but have you made that passage from the UK to Mahon with so little experience? Of course it is bravely going where others have been before but after Columbus............ It was still a long way

Jane and I have sailed over 12,000nms.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

>I am sure all that you write is correct but have you made that passage from the UK to Mahon with so little experience? Of course it is bravely going where others have been before but after Columbus............ It was still a long way

Jane and I have sailed over 12,000nms.

It's not about the actual voyage, good on em for doing it but if you are going to write about it and expect or want people to read it, it has to be coherent and easy to follow. For me it wasn't. I hasten to add I couldn't have done any better so I don't attempt to.

 

[ChrisGowers]

Thanks for the comments folks. They certainly made interesting reading. We actually started the blog to let friends and family know what were up to, as we were out of contact for much of the time. Kellyseye, I am sure what you say is correct. I am not a computer geek so I couldn't really comment. We run the blog through Wordpress and all the clever stuff is theirs. I just write the words and add the pictures. Pete, I don't know if it is possible to change the order, format or navigation system. However, I might give it a try when we are holed up somewhere due weather. Gibraltar to Corfu next by the way if the wind at Gib ever abates.

 

[KellysEye]

It is easy to change the backround colour the html code for black is #000000 white is #FFFFFF" there should be a search functinion in Wordpress what you are looking for is this code BGCOLOR then change the color. To move the navigation cut the code from where it is and paste it at the top of the of page after the HML that sets the page up. To change the page links from vertical to horizontal the likely code for vertical is <P></P>just remove that and put the code in a horizontal line. Obviously test it before uploading and if you have any problems please give me a shout. Keep a copy of the original code in case something goes wrong.

 

[ChrisGowers]

Many thanks. I wouldn't have had a clue. It will be sometime before I can put it into practice. I am still trying to get the blog entries complete from last year. We spent the summer in the Balearics then came back to Gib.

 

[KellysEye]

This is the code for when you move the page links to the top, with notes of what to do:
<CENTER>
<TABLE BORDER="0" WIDTH="750" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0"> Choose border width to fit all links
<TR>
</TD>
<TD WIDTH="296"> Choose width needed for all links
<SPAN CLASS="TEXT">
Links here.
</SPAN>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>

 

[Grehan]

The problem is that the site is set up as a Blog.
Latest 'stories' are automatically added to the 'top' of the list and thus read in reverse chronological order, except within the story itself, which runs conventionally beginning to end, just like the King advised Alice. And so, like many of these websites, this one is frustrating to get to grips with, to try to read the sequence from start-of-the-voyage to where-we-are-now.

The design or style uses one of the standard Wordpress templates and often there are limited options to tinker with ingredients, such as one can do with a more full-blown installation or even coding pages in straight HTML. White text on black is universally thought to be smart and contemporary, as true now as it was decades ago . . . even though it is also recognised to be somewhat less legible than black on white. FWIW I don't have a problem with this particular site, perfectly legible. Website structure and navigation is a perennial problem that we all face - and struggle with.

A current bugbear for me, being old school, are 'responsive' smartphone-friendly designs of screen-filling images, minimal text and maximum scrolling. But then I like content and lots of reading.

It's easy to criticise but I think the authors should be congratulated on taking the time, making the effort, to communicate their experiences and their enjoyment. Well done!

 

[ChrisGowers]

Many thanks KellysEye. I have had a look at the code but I don't think that I am brave enough to start messing with it. With my skills I am likely to lose the lot.