Well I woke up this fine bright morning and checked the messages to see that the total on the donation page has reached my target!

We made it too £1000! [actually a bit over!]

Now all I have to do is live up to all my promises to you and set sail.

Leaving 2pm today!

Fairwinds,

George

Glad to see I’m almost at my £1000 target, just a few coppers to go. £875, so ask your friends to chip in!

Fairwinds

George

Only 23 hours to the off!

Also sorted out the solar panel and wind generator charger.

Interesting skipper’s briefing in the rain and good dinner last night at the Royal Western Yacht Club.

Expecting Jake Kavernagh to interview me for Practical Boat Owner some time this afternoon. May be on their website.

Gotta go now. More things to fix. Time getting on!

Had quite a lot of engine trouble on the way down here. Now have new injector pipes. All seems to be well.

Plus the brand new Autohelm 2000 [tm] packed up coming across Lyme Bay the local dealer has replaced the innards. Still got a few water leaks but nothing a bucket can’t handle. Should have them fixed before tomorrow.

Well as you can see from the Find Me! we’ve safely arrived in Plymouth with plenty of time spare to stock up for the the trip.

The wind was blowing so we headed for Plymouth!

At the starting line now, just a few days to go and I’m off!

I’m off to Plymouth tomorrow.

The lockers and interiors of the yacht are still chaotic but most of the jobs are done. For this I have to thank a great many friends and family.

In particular, Dave Miller of LA Miller Precision Engines, Hoddeson. Without whom still half the mechanical gear wouldn’t work and hull wouldn’t shine. Also the family Faulkner who came down yesterday and worked hard all day.

Hopefully in a few short weeks

this will be my view…

Fairwinds,

George

Disaster struck at the weekend after rent-a-crowd came and swarmed over the boat doing sterling work, we relaunched on Monday and headed over to Harwich to get back the mainsail.

That’s when the engine died. We had to sail out of Halfpenny Pier pontoons, back across the Stour and into the lock at Shotley.

Fortunately ‘Ferry Nymph’ a Dunkirk boat went through the lock with us and towed us back up the marina where I completed a dead stitch landing.

I worked on into the night and eventually found a broken injector pipe.

I had to come home Tuesday afternoon, removed an injector pipe from a spare engine, so then had to go back down on Wednesday to fit it. Fortunately it worked, so I got some more work done.

Just a handful of pics showing me testing the waters with Culica, she was flying by even before the fresh coat of paint!

Time is rushing by and work continues apace to get ‘Culica’ ready.

I’ve fitted the new fire-hatch and painted the decks. I fitted the pole for the wind generator. I’m waiting for the mainsail to come back from Dolphin Sails.

But there’s still so much to do!

Hopefully a crowd will turn up at Shotley this weekend to lend a hand and help finish the jobs.

Must sign off now and get down to Shotley lots to do.

Fairwinds

George.

Thought I’d remind people exactly why I’m headed off to the Azores, other than the adventure. My grandson Max has very poorly heart and like many children benefits from the support of the charity Little Hearts Matter.

I’ve added their donation page to the links. I’d prefer the money to come in via sponsorship of my trip though, a big figure will help me keep my wind in my sales on the long trip !

Either way, I hope you give big for the little ones with poorly hearts.