Preparation 2 - The Cruising Association

We joined the CA at the Southampton boat show in 2014, but last Saturday (Valentine's day!) was the first time we'd participated in any CA events.

The annual Baltic Seminar is run mainly for those venturing into the Baltic for the first time - so that's us then! Some excellent speakers provided information on subjects such as getting there; the moorings to expect when you do; overwintering (should you choose to leave your boat there); and lots of general cruising information specific to the Baltic. We learned loads and came away with some excellent cruising guides for the Baltic countries we hope to visit - written by members for members. These are actually available free of charge to members on the web, but we preferred to pay the nominal charge for printed and bound copies (luddites!).

While I'm writing enthusiastically about the CA I should also mention the warm reception we were given and the fact that members can stay overnight in CA House accommodation for £60 - not bad for central London!

If you're going long distance sailing, our view is that CA membership is a must. If you're interested, click here for more information.

As we'd stayed overnight we decided to walk down to Greenwich to visit the National Maritime Museum. An interesting (and free!) diversion, the highlight of which was to view John Harrison's clocks (well 3 of them and the case of the 4th) - a must for those with an interest in navigation.

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Anyway, now that we're armed with charts, cruising guides and a great big dose of enthusiasm, it's time to do some serious planning. Only a month to go!

Preparation 1 - Cyclone gets some long overdue attention

I prefer sailing to working, and "working" includes boat maintenance! Unfortunately the latter just can't be avoided and Cyclone's been out of the water this week for a quick wash and brush up.

It's over 2 years since she last had this treatment and her hull had very little fouling, so full marks to Seajet 033 antifoul! 2 new coats have now been applied, with 4 at the waterline. That should keep her clean as I've been told that there's less fouling in the Baltic.

Unsurprisingly her topsides were oxidised and needed work with rubbing compound and polish. And then there's all that teak which looks great when it's clean and freshly oiled, but less so when it's grey and, er, green....

Anyway, she's ready to go back into the water now and I think she looks great!

I, on the other hand, have broken and dirty fingernails; skin missing from my fingers; and aches in (almost) every muscle and joint. Ah the delights of getting older!

There's still the sprayhood and sail cover to clean, and the engine and gearbox to service, but we're getting there.

The best laid plans.....

Outline plan: 

Rob leaves work towards the end of October 2014. Jo leaves work March 2015. Rob and Jo sail away for approx. 6 months from the end of March 2015.

Slightly more detailed plan:

Rob uses free time between October and March to redecorate the house from top to bottom; Rob ruthlessly goes through possessions and sells / disposes of stuff as appropriate; Rob plans sailing trip to Baltic; Rob gets additional work if possible to top up cruising funds.

Reality:

Rob leaves work 22nd October 2014. Jo hands in notice and will leave work March 2015. Rob decorates the bathroom, sells a car and downloads Navionics charts for the Baltic to HUDLs and a phone.....

Excuses:

If you install new bathrooms every working day, a fortnight is probably all that's needed to totally gut and refurbish one. If, on the other hand, the last time you attempted the job was in 1998, you need more like 3 months! Huge tiles may look the business, but will they fit easily in your (borrowed) cutter? No. And how many tiles can you actually use without cutting? Very few. And how vertical are your walls? Not very, so tiles going into the corners have to be cut to different widths at each end. And why did I think a bath with a wider shower area would be a good idea - meaning the toilet had to be moved? And why did I think it would be a good idea to clear excess tile adhesive from a central heating pipe with a chisel and wholly predictable results (thanks for coming to the rescue Jim!)?....

Revised plan:

Rob and Jo will sail away for approx. 6 months from the end of March 2015 - even if we're still getting Cyclone sorted on route. The house (along with all its contents) will be looked after by friends and neighbours in our absence. That way we'll have somewhere to return to and, if we decide that spending 6 months each year on the boat is not for us, we won't have burnt all our bridges (funny how easy it is to justify failure...).

We've joined the Cruising Association and are looking forward to their Baltic seminar on Valentine's day. Our route planning will start in earnest thereafter. Camilla and Sam (of Kalessin of Orwell - another Westerly Storm) have kindly lent us charts of the Baltic and we'll be studying the blog of their trip before we go too!

We've got charts, passports, EHICs and credit cards. We'll be fine.