Departure day approaches

Jo's last day of employment is 31st March but she's due some leave so will actually finish work on Friday (13th). We intend to set off along the English south coast on 21st March, weather permitting, stopping at Brighton and Eastbourne to make the most of our Premier marinas free visitor nights. Thereafter, the rough plan is to cross from Dover to Calais before making our way along the north coast of Belgium to the Netherlands. We may then use the canals to get from IJmuiden via Amsterdam to Delfzijl (no need to lower the mast!) before heading for the river Elbe and the Kiel Canal.

The last few weeks have been spent getting the boat ready - mainly by buying stuff for it to keep us safe and comfortable.

If you've ever owned a boat you'll know that anything described as "marine" or sold to be used on a boat costs far more than its shore-based equivalent. Take a memory foam mattress topper for example. A 2" one for the "V" berth of our boat from a boat bedding supplier retails at £315, whereas a 3" Super King Size one costs just £129! 10 mins with a Tesco electric carving knife (£8.50) and that's a saving of more than £175. The same is true for bedding cut to suit a "V" berth. £300 to £400 for a couple of duvets and 2 sets of sheets / duvet covers and pillow cases. A fraction of that if you buy domestic stuff and wield a pair of scissors and a sewing machine yourself.

We've saved more money by buying fire extinguishers and a first aid kit from commercial suppliers rather than marine ones, but unfortunately there are no land based equivalents for life-rafts, flares (pyrotechnics, not 70s fashion items!), anchors, charts, electronic charts (why is a C-Map card for the Baltic Sea £198 for my boat's chart plotter when exactly the same information is available for an Android or apple device for just £37.50?), pilot books, almanacs (including one in Dutch that we have to carry as a legal requirement even though we can't understand a word of it!) etc. etc. Basically, if we had kids we'd have just spent their inheritance!

Still lots to do, people to see and only 11 days to go!