What can I expect?
I can promise you dolphins, flying fish, and maybe even a whale. Sunrises and sunsets, curious birds and the most enviable feeling of space and freshness around you. But more likely you will be looking to increase your mileage and maybe practice the art of star gazing and finding your way about. If you are looking to go fishing then all well and good I have some tried and tested recipes.
After a brief stopover, we will be at sea for our longest number of days and the water will be limited. This will be rationed and daily washing will be using a bucket at the back of the boat. Girls worry not we know when to turn our backs and you will be able to rinse the salt out or your hair with a litre of fresh water. Every three or four days we can all take a basin of hot water for a stand up wash in the bathroom. Extravagance and luxuries will there be no end to them!
Once at our destination the boat has to be cleaned and prepared for hand over to the new owners. It is a bit of all hands make light work and we will endeavour to have a good deal of this done before arrival.
There is always the feeling of huge anticipation before arrival after such a long journey and the whole atmosphere is a little like the end of term and yes I can remember that far back. After arrival and clearance through customs and immigration we can relax awhile and finish off whatever we didnt do before hand. There will usually be a need to get onward travel arrangements sorted out to allow us to recover our passports from customs and as a rule bunks can be arranged for a few nights. Should you have plans to stay awhile then no doubt you will have somewhere else to go.
Before we part company we can get your log books up to date, get the boats and my log book photocopied to support any passage making qualifications you are applying for if you wish. No doubt one of us will have brought a digital camera and so we will swear them retrospectively into the position of official boats photographer and wait in anticipation over the coming weeks for copies to arrive.
When someone explained to me that a job exists where I could do exactly what Ive just described for a living I thought what a hell of a job I suppose someone has to do it! I hope that this gives you what you need to confirm to me your commitment for the upcoming trip.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me on steve@stevehobley.com