Back to the Mainland

Back to the Mainland: A Whirlwind Tour of Friends and Family

We took a break from our sailing adventure to reconnect with friends and family across the country, and it was anything but dull. As mentioned in our last blog, our journey began on Monday, July 21st, with a packed day of travel. Thanks to Elaine's kindness, we had a two-hour car ride from Craobh to Helensburgh before boarding our train. Arriving in Whittlesey at 8 pm, we were greeted with a delicious dinner and the promise of a much-needed early night.

Our time with Teresa and Martin was a welcome start, allowing us to see Tracey's Mum and giving Tracey a valuable hour to catch up with her friend Nikki—a precious moment when time is so scarce. On Thursday, we moved on to Essex to see Tracey's boys. We'd booked an Air BnB in Sible Hedingham, just a few miles from Scott’s place. After a wonderful evening showing them photos of our trip (we’re sure we bored them to death, but they were very polite about it!), we headed back to our lodging. The house was quite eerie, set back from a fir-lined driveway on a single-track road, its nighttime lighting giving it the feel of a 1970s sci-fi movie. Our room was just as odd, with blinds hidden behind nets, mismatched console tables holding art deco books, and an uncomfortable super-king bed that felt like two singles pushed together. The whole atmosphere made us feel so uncomfortable that we made a swift exit the next morning.

A Weekend of Celebration and Shared Memories

By Friday, we had gratefully made our way to Fareham for an amazing weekend with Nigel and Sarah. When Anne and Mike came over that evening, it felt like no time had passed at all as we caught up over an Indian takeaway, cards, and dice.

Saturday was the big event: Fareham Sailing and Motorboat Club's summer event, a country/barn dance with a fancy dress theme. The evening began with drinks at the Commodore’s in-house bar, The Slipway. While at The Slipway, we had a conversation with Richard, the Commodore, about a replacement dinghy for our one that had bitten the dust. Richard had spotted our "Dinghy Disaster" post on Facebook and had a solution in mind. The next day, we went to take a look and came away with a new-to-us dinghy. Our car was already starting to fill up from the single holdall and rucksack we had started with! While most people were dressed as cowboys and cowgirls, Nick stood out in a hilariously brilliant inflatable horse costume, which made it look like he was riding a horse. Tracey completed the look with a red polo top decorated with four sixes and a pink cowboy hat. He was a sight to behold! The club was spectacular, thanks to the social team’s incredible effort in decorating it. The barbecue was amazing, and the evening was one of those you never want to end. We partied back at the house until 4:30 am, a testament to how much we miss the club and its people. Sunday was a quieter day, a much-needed reprieve after Saturday's celebrations, and on Monday, Sarah cooked us the most incredible roast dinner.

Family Time and a New Beginning

On Monday, we arranged to meet Nick's daughter, Lauren, for lunch, allowing us to spend valuable time with them and our granddaughter, who is growing so fast. We had a wonderful few hours at Queen Elizabeth Country Park before heading to the Hampshire Hog pub for lunch. On Tuesday, before moving on, we met Lauren and Matt again for breakfast at Port Solent, which allowed for a quick pit stop at Nick's favorite shop, Marine Superstore. We then carried on to Andover to see Mike and Sarah. Despite them working during the day, we still managed to have some real quality time. Sarah and Nick built their new barbecue together (Mike confessed he’s not a DIY person), and Sarah cooked some incredible meals that made us feel utterly spoiled. We’re already looking forward to seeing them again in the autumn/winter, and not just for their amazing hospitality!

On Thursday, our plan to head to Eastbourne was unexpectedly altered when we got word that our new radar system was ready for collection. We made a quick detour back to Fareham, where we picked everything up. Suddenly, the car was full, and we had no idea how we were going to get it all back to Scotland! With the car packed, we got back on track and headed to Nick’s mum's place. After a Thursday night takeaway and the obligatory Friday lunch at The Bull, we had a very chilled evening chatting and catching up. Pepper, who adores Val, wouldn't leave her side. Saturday saw Lauren and Matt pop over with Elsie, and we spent the morning playing before heading to Nick’s brother, Andy, and his wife Marie’s, for a barbecue.

Sunday, we packed the car once more and headed back to Whittlesey for an overnight stop and another delicious roast dinner with Teresa and Martin. We were grateful for them allowing us to store our new dinghy with them until the end of the month. This will make our onward journey much more comfortable. Monday morning brought the devastating news that Tracey’s oldest friend had lost her father. Without a moment's hesitation, Tracey went to offer a hug and support, ensuring her friend was as okay as she could be under the circumstances. We then made our way to Liverpool for an evening with Nick’s son, Olly, and his partner, Jess.

We were utterly exhausted but had managed to visit all of our close family and spend time with as many friends as our tight schedule would allow. We feel incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

We’re now finally back on the boat and have some work to do installing our new system before we can head back out to sea. It feels great to be home again, even if, for now, our home is the floating kind.Read more