Final Prep!
So its only ten days now until we set sail for France and the Bay of Biscay to A Coruña, Spain. I'm suffering a combination of excitement, anxiety and self-doubt!! But I have been keeping busy with all the necessary pre-passage work such as provisioning, making freezer meals, doing final repairs, receiving the last of our boat equipment and cleaning! Its quite interesting planning ahead like that. Over the last 25 years or so, because of where I have lived, I haven't needed to plan too far ahead for meals. As a general rule, I've wandered to the shops whenever I have needed something....run out of coffee, walk to the shop. A real privilege really. So its been a challenge to think ahead. On this first passage, I only have to plan about 10-14 days out and shop for those things that might be hard to come by in small coastal villages (Vegemite is a good example)! But it is another of those learning experiences that is necessary, because at some point, we will need to plan for 4-5 weeks ahead! In reality, I have no idea whether I have been a smart planner or not. Time and the high seas will tell I guess.
The exercise of doing that made me very much aware of how dusty and dirty boats can actually get. Naive to think that being on water means you remain dust free. So I have spent the better part of a day, cleaning everything and anything and all her nooks and crannies. Let me just say.....I hate cleaning. While the sense of achievement for a job well done is always a good feeling....I absolutely despise the task. So I present you with a clean boat!!!
I won't show you the guest cabins because they are currently housing fishing rods, electrical cables and my washing!! But we do have two lovely cozy queen bed cabins or guest suites as we call them. And the heads, or bathrooms, are too awkward to photograph so you'll just have to trust me there.
So with the last of my jobs done (Craig's list is far from complete!) I have taken the opportunity to enjoy a seafood lunch, breakfast with my feathered friends and then I am off to cheer on my friends who are cycling in the Prudential Ride London Surrey 100 cycle race this weekend. Fingers crossed for Kit, Jad and Nicky that all goes well!!!
