Going Dutch! (Finally)

Well, we got off to a slow start, mainly due to the weather conditions which would normally give us SW winds but instead we've had weeks of easterlies (who said the weather gods don't have a sense of humour!). We also had some engine problems which Mark has now fixed. Stopped in Chichester, Eastbourne and Dover (where we were inspected by customs) before finally managing to cross the channel to Nieuwpoort in Belgium.

This is a photo of Dover Castle, it was a steep climb!

From Nieuwpoort we had a very long day with SW winds force 5 we also mis-timed the tides for Flushing and had a very hard slog to get to the sea locks. They then put us in a massive lock with some large commercial traffic with very little to hold onto and whilst clinging on to the side of the lock Dutch customs look over the top and requested very politely, that they would like check our papers! We're beginning to feel persecuted! After being checked by customs we made a mad dash for Middelburg approx 5 miles and 5 lifting bridges further along the canal. Middelburg is very pretty and the first place we have been able to get Wifi.

Sorry the pictures are mixed, the top three are Middelburg in Holland,our first bridge, Wishful and Sue and a typical Dutch Tulip roundabout!

The Bon Voyage Card

This is from Mo at the Watermans Arms.

Just about sums it all up !

One more week till we cast off.

Easter Shakedown

As you can see we have now been re-launched and didn't sink despite the weight of the extra provisions! No, this isn't the Baltic actually it's Cowes on the

Isle of Wight, we have had a small shakedown cruise over Easter to make sure everything is working ok. Apart from a couple of minor things everything seems to be fine.

This is Mark up the mast bacause there is always one bulb that dosn't work! so in spite of the lousy weather it was a very sucessful weekend and we're all ready for 'B' day.