Tension noticeable

Wind, blue oceans and infinite adventures have been passing in review for quite some time while closing my eyes. Sometimes accompanied by lots of wind, rain, turbulent high waves and seasickness, other times without wind and great heat.  These are all possible scenarios.  In my point of view, all more than worth the effort to discover what lies behind that horizon.

Another month and then we fly to the British Virgin Islands and our great adventure will begin.  The tension is noticeable in all of us.  Have we arranged everything properly?  Have we not forgotten anything?  Jeroen who is still working hard on his recovery of his back and knee surgery.  Will it all work out for the time being?  Is Jeroen strong and recovered enough that it is safe to go? All questions that concern us so close to departure. In addition, the emotional part that you will leave family and friends behind for a long time.  Words fall short of what that does to you.  The last visits to family and friends and sleepovers of nephews and nieces are planned for the time being.  In the meantime, whole schedules are being made between family members and friends who wants to come and visit. That feels good and we hope that they all manage to come and sail on the boat one day with us.

One year ago, we left the boat in the good hands of B+G Marine Services.  Last year they provided the boat with new interior and exterior cushions, a cockpit cover so that the cockpit can be closed in bad weather, new Plexiglas, new winches, the underwater hull with a new coating, the dinghy repaired, a hydraulic autopilot, forward sonar and many more small jobs.  Despite the fact that we are kept informed in between with reports and small photos, we are still somewhat tense whether everything is to our liking and whether it will be completed on time.

We have two pallets full of stuff that have to go to our boat from the Netherlands.  We recently had these shipped to St Martin.  Once we have completed everything in the British Virgin Islands, we sail to St. Martin to pick up these items.  Then …….

On June 30, we go out for dinner with family, we all sleep in a hotel and the family takes us to Schiphol early the next morning.  Our plane will depart on July 1, at 9.50 am.