This is just a catch up for things I’ve alluded to previously and answering some questions I have received.
- John and George have not yet left. The start date is not known but will be August / September. John has lots of projects to finish and we have lots of people to see before he goes so life is pretty busy. I realise I’ve not updated this blog at all this month so far. I do now have over 100 followers, you’ll all be wondering what’s happened to me.
2. If you want to read about the actual sailing then find another blog. There are a few, type in Clipper round the world and you’ll find them. I will be giving some details once the yachts set off but it’s never going to be a “what I did on my sailing holiday” blog.
3. Post 3: I now have the newspaper on my phone so one less thing to sort. I didn’t get a tablet in the end. The jigsaw has not been touched so will be a challenge for the house / dog / cat sitters. We may have someone willing to come here, more on that when it’s confirmed. In preparation I had Greta spayed. Unfortunately she had to go back to the vet a fortnight later with a sore neck. She had CLIPPER RASH! Getting into the spirit of things.
4. Post 6: The things I called wet cards are more properly wet notes. John has not done much revising or knot tying but I suspect that may change soon. The fitness training is going well, so much so that his weight is getting very close to mine. I must stop eating or increase my exercise too.
5. Post 7: We are sorting out a proper safe so everything can all be in one place. The house log book has been started in that I’ve a list of headings. I realised it really is needed when the lights upstairs blew and it was a fuse box I didn’t know about in a cupboard in George’s bedroom. I am unsubscribing from stuff as it comes in.
6. Post 10: The book I could not remember is called The Fulcrum Files by Mark Chisnell. It’s set during the Second World War. The synopsis doesn’t mention sailing but it was recommended in a boating magazine so we’ll find out when we read it.
7. Post 12: I have found out that those people who have not crossed the Equator (at sea) have the charming name of pollywogs. I knew this as a dialect word for tadpoles in my youth growing up in a fishing port.
8. Post 13: A pal has mentioned two other naval superstitions that her dad (a Captain in the RN and Master Mariner) had. L for ladders, I’m not sure how many of them are on a boat but I guess if it’s a big one there may be a few. J for Jonah, an unlucky person or crew member. He also said that the Crossing the Line ceremony is to appease Neptune.
9. Last month we had a taste of what it will be like for John, trapped with people and no way out. When the snow came, we had four friends visiting for Thursday night. We did warn them that snow had been forecast but as we had plenty of food and a full oil tank they risked it. This is what Friday morning looked like, a lovely sunny day.
It looks like the cars got out but a bit further on we realised the track out of our house was blocked. John finally managed to free us on Monday. By then our pals had walked in the other direction over two fields to be picked up and taken to the station. How did he cope with being cooped up? Well, he had the tractor out all over the weekend trying to clear the snow away! The cars were picked up a week later.
Next time, maybe a bit about training.
George and John's boating trip no longer 