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.