I've got a wet bottom!

.....Well Ruach has anyway. Over lunchtime yesterday Ruach was carefully lowered into the Forth by the team at Port Edgar Marina.
See the compilation video below of her leaving a very blustery Livingston Saturday morning, then flying through the air Wednesday in much calmer conditions. I really hope that mother nature is getting all these high winds out of her hair before I start my journey (but looking at the long range weather forecast somehow I don't think so).

From the storms I was amazed by the amount of debris that had accumulated in every nook and cranny of the cockpit in such a short time; from being relatively clean on Saturday to having enough organic matter to start growing potatoes on Wednesday. So first priority once afloat was to give her a good wash and brush up. Next, while I was tinkering away in the engine compartment I looked up to see four men looking back at me from the pontoon. I wondered what I had done wrong. but it turned out that they were the crew of a nearby boat who were just admiring Ruach. They were very complimentary about the look and lines of my fine vessel.

Only a couple of days now before I set off on my journey. I'll publish the actual day and time here once the preparations are complete, but at this time it is intended that I will set off during this bank holiday weekend. I'll probably spend a couple of days sailing around the Forth as a shakedown cruise before striking North. So if you see a tan sailed, gaff rigged Crabber pottering about in the Forth give me a wave 

Please watch this blog for final departure updates.

Great news on the giving front. As I type this update we are just £3.34 short of the £500 matched giving target on the Scottish justgiving site. 

Don't forget to drop me a note at onpassage@dhippey.co.uk to sign up to be informed when blog updates appear.

Please share this site with your friends and family ( Especially the rich ones :-)  )

If you came to this blog from the main website www.eventoftheyear.co.uk you will hopefully have had a look around the site and be aware of what I'm up to, both the adventure itself and the fact that I'm aiming to raise awareness of dementia in our society and to raise money for the Alzheimer's charities.

I'm doing this trip for fun and funding the trip myself, but while I'm on this venture you can do your bit to by supporting the Alzheimer's charities through either www.justgiving.com/david-hippey-scotland or www.justgiving.com/david-hippey

Catch you next time.

Regards,

David H.

Stormy Weather!

Just a quick update

       Delays, delays, delays. I think this audio clip sums up the preparations of late.
Then along with having the weather to contend with I have foolishly damaged a toe which subsequently got infected. So following a trip to the Doc. I have a dose of horse strength pills to try and get me sorted before I set off.

Still; this clip of Morecambe & Wise cheers me up. (Sorry for you guys behind the corporate firewall which block this kind of thing)

.

......I'm now hoping for a little more classic Morecambe and Wise, (All together now, sing along) "Bring Me Sunshine".
(Audio clips courtesy of Amazon. You can buy the full copies of the track from them)

Here's a snapshot of Ruach on my drive looking smart with the charity graphics applied.

Ruach relocated to Port Edgar on Saturday. The trip was mostly uneventful apart from one heart stopping moment when the gusty wind induced a snake in the trailer. Many thanks to our good friends Nicola & Derryk for delivering Ruach for me.

I originally had a slot booked to get Ruach craned into the water today, but the gales put paid to that. I have a new slot booked for during my lunch break tomorrow. However the forecast is still very iffy so this may not happen. Oh the joys of boat owning in Scotland!

Again a big THANKS to all you 'givers' out there. The charities, via the justgiving sites, have now received over £800 in donations from your giving. Plus as it stands there will be another £400 given direct to Alzheimer Scotland from my employer in their matched giving initiative. If we can raise another £100 on the Alzheimer Scotland just giving site they will benefit from the full additional £500 of matched giving.

Don't forget to drop me a note at onpassage@dhippey.co.uk to sign up to be informed when blog updates appear.


Please share this site with your friends and family ( Especially the rich ones :-)  )

If you came to this blog from the main website www.eventoftheyear.co.uk you will hopefully have had a look around the site and be aware of what I'm up to, both the adventure itself and the fact that I'm aiming to raise awareness of dementia in our society and to raise money for the Alzheimer's charities.
I'm doing this trip for fun and funding the trip myself, but while I'm on this venture you can do your bit to by supporting the Alzheimer's charities through either www.justgiving.com/david-hippey-scotland or www.justgiving.com/david-hippey

Catch you next time.

Regards,
David H.

T-minus 10 to blast off!

It's now just 10 short days until I cast off, weather permitting. But there is still much to do before the commencement of this adventure. Steady progress is being made assembling all the various bits of Ruach that were spread around the British Isles. I've introduced the GPS to the VHF radio and they are now in conversation and getting along famously (for which I breath a sigh of relief).
As planned the heads did get refurbished this past week, so another important milestone also gets crossed off the list. (At this time I can only hope that the operation has been a success as I am unable to fully test them on my house drive). Only time will tell!!!
Ruach is now resplendent with "Charity Sail for Alzheimer's" & "www.eventoftheyear.co.uk" graphics kindly supplied by the team at Anglia Graphic Signs to whom I am very grateful.

Ruach will shortly move from our home to Port Edgar Marina for a few days prior to setting off. Thanks go to Adam Cruttenden and the team for their assistance and generosity.

You may remember from previous posts my question on favourite recipes. Well Penny came home from Sainsburys brandishing a Chilli con Carne in a plastic pouch for me to try. The idea being that you can heat it either 'boil in the bag' style, or in a saucepan (or a microwave for those with posh yachts). Well I have to tell you that my expectation of this bag was low, mainly because I've tried instant 'packet meals' before. I find they tend to be either very bland or very salty. But I was amazed, paired with some rice this made a really tasty dish. I was so impressed I got in touch with the company, it seems they have a whole range of this type of meal. The company has the bizarre but apt name of Look what we found.  As an added bonus to me when they heard what I was up on my trip they offered me a healthy discount on their products, so I have purchased quite a selection which I look forward to trying. So my thanks also goes to Lauren and the team at Look what we found. I'll let you know what the other dishes are like as the trip progresses.

I'm still open to ideas for meals and snacks, so email me or leave a comment at the foot of this blog with your favourite ideas. 

Sorry for the lack of pictures this post, it's been a combination I've been too busy with preparations and again the weather not playing ball, (and I'm sure you don't want to see another picture of the loo) . 

A big THANKS to all you 'givers' out there. The charities, via the justgiving sites, have now received over £700 in donations from your giving. 

Don't forget to drop me a note at onpassage@dhippey.co.uk to sign up to be informed when blog updates appear.

Please share this site with your friends and family ( Especially the rich ones :-)  )

If you came to this blog from the main website www.eventoftheyear.co.uk you will hopefully have had a look around the site and be aware of what I'm up to, both the adventure itself and the fact that I'm aiming to raise awareness of dementia in our society and to raise money for the Alzheimer's charities.

I'm doing this trip for fun and funding the trip myself, but while I'm on this venture you can do your bit to by supporting the Alzheimer's charities through either www.justgiving.com/david-hippey-scotland or www.justgiving.com/david-hippey

Catch you next time.

Regards,

David H. 

Hey Dad, I'm nearly famous!

  ..... Well the trip is anyway, it made it into the Cornish Crabbers website and newsletter last week - click here for more info . Who knows, maybe it will be on the 'One Show' next if they pick up this story.

It is starting to come together. The work on the hull has been completed and Ruach been transported across from the West Coast to Livingston. Because the repairs took longer than anticipated (Don't they always), I've brought Ruach to my home so that every minute available can be spent on preparation rather than wasted on time spent travelling to and from the boat.

The replacement berth cushions are completed. The thirty three year'ish old originals were found to be so disgusting when I opened up the mouldy damp mess that I could not even use them as templates for the replacements for fear of contaminating the replacement foam with mould spores. So I spent a satisfyingly  happy hour or so sculpting the blue dense foam with a bread knife to fit the profile of the boat; I have to admit that I chickened out of making the cushion covers. We knew we were running out of time so called in the professionals, it was money well spent I say as the cushions are to be my seat and bed for the next three months. I used Newlook Upholstery Services in Cardenden, Fife.

The next job on my list,  in nautical terms, is to tackle the heads. That sounds so much better than saying I need refurbish the loo.  I have the spares kit, I have the tools,  I just need to find the resolve to do it. It's one of those jobs that is oh so easy put off, but is definitely be worth getting done before I set sail. (Three months with crossed legs isn't really an option).

Don't forget to drop me a note at onpassage@dhippey.co.uk to sign up to be informed when blog updates appear.

To date, between both of the charity websites, you have donated over £500. I am so grateful to you for this, you know who you are. Every donation, large or small, makes a difference.On behalf of the charities I thank you.

Please share this site with your friends and family

( Especially the rich ones :-)  )

If you came to this blog from the main website www.eventoftheyear.co.uk you will hopefully have had a look around the site and be aware of what I'm up to, both the adventure itself and the fact that I'm aiming to raise awareness of dementia in our society and to raise money for the Alzheimer's charities.
I'm doing this trip for fun and funding the trip myself, but while I'm on this venture you can do your bit to by supporting the Alzheimer's charities through either www.justgiving.com/david-hippey-scotland or www.justgiving.com/david-hippey

Catch you next time.

Regards,
David H.