Preperations for the Arc Portugal

We are leaving Hamble for Plymouth for the start of the Arc Portugal in two days time. Over the winter and spring we have done everything we can to get the boat ready yet there are still so many jobs to do!

Over the bank holiday weekend we made a quick jaunt to Guernsey to buy some fuel, and had a jolly good lunch at Octopus which overlooks the harbour and splendid it was too!

Last weekend I was frantically trying to get all the last minute jobs done and to finally work out what do do with the huge downwind sail we have bought. We have to take it with us as it is used for crossing oceans and if we decide to do that then we won't be coming back to the UK, so we have to take it with us. I tried to put it in the sail locker but it is simply too big. So I brought it back down below. A few days later I decided to try emptying the sail locker of the two very large ropes at the bottom of the locker, which were left by the previous owner to see if the sail would now fit - ta da it does! I relocated the ropes to an aft locker which they can share with the bicycles. In case you are wondering what those ropes are… well the blue one is an emergency anchor rode in case you lose your anchor chain on, say coral. The white one is a tow rope so that we can rescue other people…or use it to be rescued. We have a huge bridle in another locker.

Everything is going well except the long range forecast which is causing Linda and me some anxiety!