A big thank you to everyone who came to see us on Saturday and to see us off on Sunday.  A particular thank you to Victor for piping us off and to everyone who helped clear up the remains of the party.

At 14:00 precisely we slipped our lines from the pontoon at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club and were given a moving send off by friends on the pontoon and with the accompaniment of Victor on the bagpipes.  Martin carefully not looking back and both of us shedding a few tears.  It was a most emotional experience for us both.

Alice and Oscar dog left for home and Andrew accompanied us for our first week and the sortie westwards.

Departure had been preceded by four weeks, post Lands End to John o’Groats cycling, of frenetic preparation with Martin almost living at Fox’s Boatyard to encourage the yard staff to complete the work on the boat.  We eventually extracted Caduceus from Fox’s at 17:30 last Friday, 2^nd July.  Fox’s excellent stainless steel fabrication manager, Martin Newlyn, delivered the final item, a security grill for the companionway hatch, to the boat on Saturday morning.

On arrival at the Royal Harwich the cabin floors and bunks were still covered with clothes, stores and spare parts despite a week of stowing.  Martin returned home to do last minute sorting out at home, returning at 11:00 Saturday by which time with Andrew’s help the boat was stowed ready for our visitors and the first of two great farewell parties.

Following departure we set a limited objective and anchored in the River Stour, opposite Erwarton Ness ready for an early start on Monday for the first leg to Gosport.  Sunday evening we enjoyed a bottle of champagne  and some excellent Bunting’s steak.