Time to Leave

The final morning and a calm start to the day. Sunrise was followed with a lovely light towards the town which is hopefully captured in the photo you see.

So now it was time to finish packing and leave ... which is why you get to see a view of Rincewind's main cabin ... it's tidy! Penny & Tom were in the forward cabin, in the nose so to speak, with Alan to the left of the galley steps and Rob to the right, both at the stern of the boat.

At around 9.15am the crew of four walked away from Rincewind for the very last time and headed off to get breakfast before leaving for the airport later on. All agreed it had been a brilliant week - a week that, even though it had flown by, was filled with numerous sights and experiences to remember for a very long time. Alan coped really well with the many demands placed upon his ninety year old body, but he made it through and joined-in with everything for the entire week. Penny and Tom coped brilliantly handling the yacht with two novice crew members ... which rope did what, did they say? Cleats, fenders, halliards, reefs and no, not a knot and a knot is a speed not a knot. Is red 40m of anchor chain, or is it blue? Isn't an oxo a game and which knot shouldn't you tie to hold a fender on a rail? Should a rope be on the cleat or around it, and when or why? Get the picture? Easy or what?

Having said all that, it all worked in the end and the yacht was returned unscathed. Rob was hoping for photographic opportunities but had been warned there may not be many times to get out there with the camera and tripod, and there wasn't really. But this trip wasn't about that: it was an opportunity for a family getaway with some new experiences and in that respect the week has been exactly that and a great success.

Now where's that G&T?Read more