We have been trying to get Blue Beyond ready for well over a year now and she has had a major refit , we hope to go blue water sailing for many years and the plan was to get her into tip top shape prior to our departure then all we need to do is daily maintainance. The shipright Mark has finished installing the new cupboard and the deck and has done a brilliant job , Paul has nearly finished the commissioning of all the ropes and rigging , Mike has got the generator working , covered himself in oil and diesel , by tripping over the deck in the saloon , and managed to not get one drop anywhere except over himself! Good Man ! and then the next night , had a look in the holding tank ,which we had been told had never been used and we certainly have never used it , and really wished he hadn’t and again covered himself with more than he bargained for , anyway bar one part he should be finished Monday and we will have engine to be proud of . Ian the shipright who has helped Mark for many weeks has nearly finished and his consistent good humour has help Mark on even the most stressfull of days when everything has gone wrong . and finally Kevin the electrician who has worked round the clock to get everything installed is very nearly there , ( he is clever enough to not give any timescales ), but that man needs a holiday and soon! The boat is loaded with all our worldly goods , well those we can fit on anyway , even managed to stow essential foodstuff for the Arc.

Everyone working hard on Blue Beyond.

Our Plan when we leave Lowestoft is to sail straight to Plymouth in one hit , this will put the boat through its paces and get us into the rythym of life at sea , also we are joining 14 other yachts for the Rally Portugal which leaves Plymouth on 1^st June so time is of the essence now .

 attatching the cruising chute , the spinnaker is firmly locked away in the garage , to heavy for even two people to lift , let alone manage on the boat .

Well I’m off to find out how to plot our co-ordinates so as can show our postion , more soon .