Too Cool For School

Mum got us 'Croc Bones' T-shirts.... We are offically crew. Now that's headline news.

Are we too cool for school in these??? Is EVERYONE going to be oh so Jealous???
I think so :) Go Mum!!!

Hibernation is over!

It has been an exceptionally unique year. 'The goal' has been there all along and has been our underlying reason for every action and reaction we have taken. But it has seemed so distant that everything we have done has been very habituial and mundane. Not really living, just going through the motions. It has been a year of being frugal and cutting back, and sometimes with so much time to think there has been a creeping feeling of why? Why on earth are we doing this?? So much self restraint to live in just one room for 15 months, to not socialise or spend. It had started to shift the focus of what we were doing and creating slight resentment and frustration towards this distant plan. Don't get me wrong. 2010 would not go down as a 'bad' year. We have both traveled and had an array of amazing experiences but routine and 'the goal' has always put a limit on these and often made it all seem a bit strained as it was 'oh so far away'. That was until last week...

New years rocked around and put things into a lot more perspective. We had one week left at work, of living in London, of living the split life. We had one week left until everything started to gear up and the countdown to leaving the UK began. Scary Stuff!! It was officially time to come out of hibernation and get going!

So what's new....

We have now found a guy to come and do the crossing from Falmouth down to La Coruna  (possibly Vigo, yet to be decided but the shipping lanes in La Coruna are making the latter more preferable). It was so, so much easier than we thought so we are giving a big recommendation for the " Crew Seekers"  website. It took just over a week from posting the advert to finalising the details with our guy (another Mark) - perfect.

When we got back after the Christmas Break we only had 7 days to say bye to everyone, pack up our room, finish off and hand over all of our work... oh and have a few leaving parties of course.

On a work note I have very happily got sign off that I will be writing a blog for HP Information Security whilst we are away. It is going to be in part security focused but will mainly be an internal people piece of promotional blogging around our sailing adventure!! Very excited!!

We also managed to squeeze in going to the London Boat Show before we left. Ahhh, The London Excel where it is held is a strange place. It is a world full of concrete and glass where all emotion and feeling is lost. Even the luminous coloured panels scattering the walls seem not to be able to breath any life into that empty shell. Yet The Boat Show is probably the one time of year where the word 'shopping' sends chills of excitement though a yachting man rather than dread. When the man-seats are taken over by the ladies and when men can strike a victory post at 5:30 when they are the last one standing. But i do have to admit it was very good fun and we learnt a lot. We met the American Author Donald Street who has multiple books out about sailing around the Caribbean and along with a very helpful lady gave us multiple tips on where to go and not to go. I think the San Blas islands are now going to be included as a major part of the trip but sadly Venezuela is off the plan. The state of the security there just looks like it is too dangerous. 

We finally got our oily suits whilst there. Not really any cheaper than online but it was much better to be able to try such a variety on and find the right one. We both got the Henri Lloyd Ventura ones. Male and Female versions respectively for which, i have to note, the ladies trousers have their own unique ways of open when you need the loo! A solution at last - Genius!! We got a few more bits and pieces whilst we were there and got some contacts who can help us service the life-raft and fix the cooker - happy days. Now we just need to get to the boat and get going!

Its going to be very strange not going to work but I cannot wait to get out trip under way! We now have a week before we are going to Oz and want to spend most of the time after we get back doing trial sails and any last minute bits and pieces (plus I have the first aid course from the 13^th - 15^th ) so we have now 7 days to banish all other major problems, going to be challenging! 

We will add in another update of where we are at before we hit Oz on the 20^th. Fingers crossed.

Tia and Jarvis - over and out.