Preparing for the start
Freespirit
Fri 24 Nov 2006 07:49
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First of all, apologies to those of you who have
been kind enough to check the log in the last few days. I am afraid that we have
been so busy that I have been unable to collect my thoughts until
now......
The crew met at Gatwick at 0730, Monday morning in
the South Terminal. There was a slight drama as Bretty very nearly missed the
plane but, in the end, we were all able to enjoy the delights of charter
travel.
The Monday pm arrival put
us slightly behind the pace......the ARC programme had already been running
for over a week and we had missed the official opening. However, the crew of
Free Spirit is pretty damn fast! The first few days in Las Palmas
have been hectic as we have attempted to introduce 5 crew members to shipboard
life (and stowage issues), provision for more than 20 days at sea, check
rigging, engine, safety equipment, sails, fridge, freezer, water maker and
the myriad of other things that need to be done before setting
off. As I write this, though, we are in good shape. We have been out
for a first sail together in wonderful conditions, and all of the key
systems are up and running. One sad note is that Bretty has had to pull out
of the trip and is flying back today. He collapsed on Wednesday and
although he now seems fine, we have all reluctantly agreed that it would be too
dangerous for him to risk a repetition at sea. We are all very
disappointed but hopeful that he will be able to get back to full health in the
UK.
More news will follow when time
allows....
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