Tabitha’s Tales

The girls and me have aching arms following a visit to the nurse for immunisation. I was inoculated against Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid and Polio whilst the girls had just two of these. They were excellent and delighted the nurse with their matter of fact attitude. Sue has yet to make her arrangements, will she be as brave?. We got print-outs of our immunisation records to take onboard with us. I was surprised to find that my last jabs were for my trip in 1991 when I headed off in my Contessa 26.

On our last trip to the Med we found that we healthier, (happier, fitter . . .. etc, etc) than we have ever been but this time we felt it prudent to take some medical cover. We’ve got a relatively cheap policy which should cover any catastrophes (so long as they happen within territorial waters!) and very extensive medical kit. In 5 months on our last trip our medical expenses were 30 Euros and that included minor surgery on Peta’s foot!

Speaking of insurance we have had some fuss with Tabitha’s American insurance company. It seems that they can extend our cover to include the whole of the East coast of the US without any difficulty but visiting any other country (Canada or the Bahamas) is a big deal even though the distances involved are no greater than crossing the north sea from Suffolk.

I was interrogated about the list of equipment we have aboard . . . sextant, number of GPS’s, watermaker, charts pilots, light lists, liferaft, SSB radio, all the equipment for a circumnavigation. Happily I was able to answer yes to everything. I also had to submit my seafaring cv which I am pleased to say passed muster. Unfortunately there is now more bureaucracy to wade through in the form a written report detailing and providing evidence for all of the work I have done to Tabitha following the survey. Why didn’t they ask for this before?!! Still, it is better than the new re-survey they first requested. The boat has only been used for 3 weeks since the last full survey!

I can cope with the sailing but the bureaucracy really kills me. It’s all about covering backs.

I have a book called ‘Ocean Countdown’ by the late Geoff Pack which was designed to help prospective ocean cruisers to plan their first extended cruise. It is not a book I have been referring much to lately at I read it almost to destruction in the mid-’80s when I was planning my first long trip and I know the routine backwards.

That’s not to say that we are not counting. With nine weeks to go our new mainsail has arrived, I have been paining an 8ft aluminium pole (ex. Topper mast), we have begun to show prospective tenants around the house and two further rooms have received a coat of paint and one suitcase is packed. Nine weeks may seem like a long time but with two jobs and a busy family life time is tight. We now have no free weekends between now and when we leave!

Personally, I am at once uncontrollably excited and mildly terrified. The girls both look upon the trip with a mixture of anticipation and resignation. I think Sue is just hoping to wake up and find it is all a dream. She’ll be fine once we are off!