Monthly Archives: June 2009

Stockholm bound.

 
Orders are in – 09.30 on tuesday morning, we will leave the quay here in london.  A couple of days slogging across the north sea and we should be reasonably sheltered again and out of harms way.
 
After that – i have no idea what the plan will be.  there is talk of another trip into the arctic circle again to see icebergs and the northern lights – only one thing is for sure on this boat – plans always change!!..
 
I just had a quick weekend up in Rugby.  I decided to get the tube to Euston and then the express up to Birmingham international, hop on the monorail to the airport and pick up a hire car there.  I even treated myself to a 15 quid upgrade to first class for the return trip.
 
I was lookng forward to the return leg.  First class keeps you well out of the way of the chavs and serfs and to pay a little extra for this – was not a problem…….until i got to the station.
 
As always , i got there early.  My train was cancelled but there was another due in ten minutes, so i would be ahead of schedule by half an hour or so.  I figured now that i would loose my reserved seat, facing backward, with a table and an outlet to power the laptop……….suddenly that upgrade was looking a bit gloomy.  Then when i clambered on board, first class was busy and they were letting commoners sit in 1st class – how terribly unfair.
 
I did get my free coffee, buiscuits and crisps though – but never opened up my laptop to make the most of my free internet connection on the train.
 
When i got on the tube, transfered to the DLR and then foolishly got off a stop too early and had to walk a bit.
 
Bumped into an old friend called sue in the warwicks too – she was a little drunk but was most impressed that i remembered her name – like i was the drunk one??  Her friend was a real wierdo too – didnt want to acknowledge that we were there – certainly didnt want to talk to us and appeared hell bent on dragging sue off somewhere else – no doubt she was chasing some complete waste of space , shell suit wearing, wanker of an ex boyfriend around the town.
 
each to their own
 
Dean the twat -ordered the biggest pizza from the shop without telling me.  it measured 60cm x 45cm (it was oblong in shape of course)  it lasted us until teatime the next day – mind you, for 26 quid you would expect something substantial.
 
 
enough for now – i have to go and unpack and prepare for tomorrows preparations.
 
 
salty sea dog
 
Hurrah for Max
 
Shame on Sharon
 
a raspberry for dean
 
and a coal shovel for rupert

Back in the day – 4726nm

 
 
Back in the day when Kula Shaker were a radical new band – i used to know how to work stuff without reading the instruction but my new phone has caused me some problems.  I tried to send mason a message of abuse but the word ‘wanker’ was not in the phone so i ended up sending ‘waxed’ instead.
 
I could never understand why they leave swear words out of a phone dictionary – not even a simple ‘shit’ will be there.  I finally found out how it all worked , and also realised after a couple of days that there was a clear plastic layer ontop of the touch screen, so that probably wouldn’t have helped much !!
 
I waved to a friend at Selsey Bill yesterday but she wasnt on the beach. 
 
Today we motored up the thames to West India Quay – thats next to Canary Wharf to Joe blogs. 
 
now think about this – the area stinks of money, big banks and corporate slags are all around.  the boat is worth a mint and costs a mint just to have going nowhere.  so the picture of a big sailing boat sitting in the middle of the london bank district is a most amazing picture
 
 
 
 

Sitting pretty – 4493nm

 
Gosport – just across the water from Portsmouth, not the most glamorous locations that i have stopped in – but i am always thankful for a bit of time tied up on the dock.
 
Treated myself to a new phone too – i wanted an iphone but was gutted when i was told that they can only be bought locked to a specific network so settled for an LG instead – life’s good!
 
Our short stop in Jersey also proved fruitful – two new bank accounts opened with ease.
 
Next stop should be london but we heard yesterday that the water isn’t deep enough for us.  with a bit of luck, we may head straight to norway and back into the arctic circle.  Ultimately, we want to be in england again in september to make some more repairs to the boat.  Sometimes things can feel a little lack lustre but i am sure once we push off and head north, we will be starting a whol enew adventure.
 
lets pray for a yard period in pendennis and then a trip to the caribbean.
 
 

Bon Chance – 4303nm

 
In the wee hours of this morning, we pulled into a fog laden Cherbourg harbour.  Our plan was to sit for a day and a half before popping across to Jersey to meet the boss – and then the call came!
 
We have to be in Jersey tomorrow morning!! Not even an hours rest.  the rest of today was spent prepping the boat for tomorrow – all this after a 1500 mile slog out of the med, up the atlantic coast of portugal & spain, across biscay and into northern france, it is fair to say i am completely shattered.
 
So tomorrow, we will be on the dock in jersey and i will be able to rest the machinery and myself but the boss changes his mind faster than anyone i know so we may only be there for a day or two before we are off again.
 
Plan is to spend a week in london, next to tower bridge.  I like the sound of that – even if it does mean being in england and even more so in london.  I never thought a boat like this would go up the thames.
 
so we will patiently wait and see – one thing is for certain – it will not be long before we get a change in orders.

On the move – 2714 nm

 
Finally got our orders.
 
sunday evening we head for Jersey so i am taking the next few days off and heading to Munich for a long weekend to relax and sleep in a full size bed for the last time in the forseeable future!
 
Palma is hot but i am reading a lot about the recent temperatures in england, seems it has been warm there too.  Hopefully, by the time we get to scotland, the weather will not have cooled down any and i can enjoy the place in all of its glory.
 
Not too much to report at the minute, just all work work work.  Have decided to order a new surfboard to celebrate the big 4-0 later this year, looking at something a bit retro, a bit 60`s but still waiting for Davey the ding man to get in touch.
 
Special thanks to vodafone for offering free roaming for the summer – from monday on, you can get me on that number – let me know if you need it
 
 
 

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