S/V Indian Summer 1

With only six weeks to go, things are getting pretty hectic.  I had no idea how much there was to organise before embarking on such a big trip.  Ian is finalising the boat, still adding new cupboards, changing lines, ensuring everything is working and safe. I am sorting out all the rest. As we hope to be away for a number of years, we have had to literally put our land lives on hold.  We have either sold or given away most of our ‘stuff’ and put the rest into storage –  Accountants, financial advisers, lawyers, doctors, dentists, opticians, insurance, even the hairdresser. Visas, passports, Wills, Power of Attorneys, tax dept, vaccines, prescriptions, charts, downloading guides and books, radio courses, sea survival courses, photocopies – the list never seems to end.  Then there is gathering the contents for the first aid kit, the grab bag, the liferaft, the spares kit etc. New computer with electronic charts downloaded, go-pro, printer, sat phone, AIS, Thank goodness for google – its amazing how much information is available out there.  Much of what we need, especially spares, has been found on-line and it seems like a parcel is arriving every other day with another important item – the postman must be wondering what we are up to!

Then there is the matter of what not to take……..  How many towels, clothes, shoes will we need?  and don’t get me started on the cushions!  We keep finding new hidey holes to squash more things into and then we start questioning our weight.  Catamarans do not like to be overweight as it affects their sailing ability.  Do we take another roll of line, more tools, the kayak?   I’m glad we don’t have books and CD’s – kindles and thumb drives are so much lighter.   I imagine as we go along we will dump some things and wish we had taken others – all part of the adventure.

Six weeks to go ….