Thursday morning and we were up early…. Today is the day we go back in the water – thankfully. After another mosquito-infested sauna night aboard we will be happy to get some breeze through the boat!

It was around 7.50 am and I’d just made a pot of tea and put on some eggs to boil – and the guys turned up with the monster trailer to take Morphie away!   So we quickly stowed everything in the sink and we are being told to get off!   Yes, OK mate….. but let us check that all is as it should be first!   We quickly climbed down the ladder with just a camera and watched the proceedings.   I was a bit fed up when I saw marks along the hull when the chocks were removed – but, on closer inspection, it was just paper stuck to the new paint, not damage. Phew…..

So heart in mouth we watched Morphie’s progress through the boatyard and finally into the water…..   Checked the stuffing gland for drips – all fine – and other through hulls….   We found that the knot meter wasn’t seated properly and was letting by a little… so tightened that up and we started the engine. No hesitation – first turn off the key. Well done Morphie!

Ready to push off and, of course, nobody around to assist…..   So Richard spoke to this Canadian couple who were splashing later on and we asked them for assistance promising we’ll do the same for them later in the day. Deal struck and we’re on our way and then into our slip – unfortunately the marina is full (it is tiny!) – so we ended up stern into the wind.   Oh well – never mind – we were safely in the water and tied to a dock.   Glad that was over!

The rest of Thursday and we carried on working hard….   We got dink off the coach roof, pumped up, and into the water….   Richard did final engine jobs and I carried on stainless cleaning – now that I could reach the outer rail…..   Thursday night we retired very early having had a long day.

Friday we worked hard all day. Very early in the morning we got the staysail hanked on….. The wind picked up so we left the genoa for another day.    Later on Richard went up the mast to check our rigging and give it a bit of a clean, and I painted new registration numbers on dink…..   We compiled a list for provisions for the forthcoming trip and we got the freezer working as a fridge. Unfortunately the fridge compressor wouldn’t start….so we had to get a refrigeration guy out to look at it.   Again it was a gas leak allegedly and he went away having fixed it pretty quickly. We must buy the gauges and the gas so that we can do this job ourselves in future – it happens every year – and these guys are always the most expensive!   Having got the fridge and freezer working we headed out for our first mammoth provisioning run……   Got the basics but very disappointed in some of the offerings – not helped by our lack of Dutch language skills!   Back on board, provisions stowed, and another early night after tea….

Saturday morning and we got up extra early to hank the genoa on…. Successfully achieved we returned to bed for a little while!   Then we were off out with a long list of stuff still to get – first stop Island Water World to order 40 foot of chain, a new secondary anchor, some shackles and Racor fuel filters.   And as we are such good customers they gave us a pretty good discount and are even delivering to us on the boat on Monday morning.   Our original secondary anchor is just a pile of rust now – and we’ve never actually deployed it ourselves – so wonder about the quality in the first place????!!!!????

Then we headed off to the posh Van der Twill supermarket to get the rest of the provisions….   Another disappointment….. Oh well – not sure what to do now!   But we stopped – on the off chance – at the discount place which is a bit like Costco and were surprised that we got everything else that we needed!!!   Pleased with ourselves we headed back and tried to find a place for everything – and I started cooking.   We will have Blaine on board to assist this passage as I’m not yet fully fit after my operation this summer – so it is meals for three and potentially a tough windward slog ahead.   I have decided to cook some decent meals that can be just taken from the freezer to the oven or the pressure cooker.   Managed to get two done – shepherds pie and cheese and bacon pasta bake – and into the freezer before bed time….   Another early night, although we did have a couple of beers first in the cockpit, fighting off the mosquitos!!!

This morning – Sunday – and I got up early and was cooking curry at 8 am!!!!   Richard still managed to taste it to check it was OK LOL.   The final prepared meal of lasagne was done and ready for the freezer by mid-morning. There is other food too – in fact, we might have gone a bit over board on the chocolate, haribos, and snack offerings – but plenty of other meal / lunch / dinner options if the passage takes longer or just gets plain boring…   A girl can dream can’t she!!!!????!!!!

While all this culinary magic was going on Richard was washing Morphie down from bow to stern – and then waxed her.

I ended up in dink going round the outside rail to finish off the stainless, as this was too dangerous up on the hard….

Finally all stainless finished and we hoisted dink up onto his davits in preparation for going to sea.   Phew…… finally we are almost ready…..  Doesn’t she look sparkling???

Sitting in the cockpit now having a well-earned beer and then another early night beckons….

Tomorrow afternoon Blaine arrives and we still have a few jobs to get done but we are almost there….. Looking forward to a couple of days off before hoping to set sail on Thursday – but obviously very weather dependent this far out….

Bye for now

Jan