That is the question. Whether it is nobler to suffer slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and my mates, or keep my mouth shut?

It's a question that has followed me and haunted me for the last two years. From the moment I grandly announced that I was building a boat and going to sail around the world everyone (well not quite everyone, we'll talk more about a few close friends later!) has bugged me about a blog. "You must take lots of great photos and do a blog so we can follow you".

I am fundamentally suspicious of the whole idea, I am not renowned for opening up my soul, mostly that's for 'girlie boys' to quote Arnold Swalzenegger.  You see they say that long sea passages can do things to the mind! And I have no idea what I would publish to the world in a weak and self indulgent moment.   But more importantly those aforementioned 'few close friends' have no idea what the effect of long and lonely nights at sea may have on me. Will he won't he, surely what happens at sea stays at sea.... or something like that.

So I have decided to see this as an opportunity to have a little fun, no one should take it too seriously and if over the coming years it's quite evident that I am going stark raving mad, maybe one you would be so kind as to let me know, and then turn the light out.

Finally, I feel the journey has really begun, we are on our first night of three that it will take us to cross the Bay of Biscay. The last week or so, has been more like a short holiday charter with Beans, and Nick & Diane Harvey, not the beginning of a five years round the world adventure. We set off from Brixham on the evening of the 14th August, despite borderline weather in the channel we were very keen to get out of Brixham that Thursday evening because we didn't want to start such a voyage on a Friday!! An old sea dog thing....



Now I am very keen not to turn this into a boring travel log of then we did this and weren't the local people colourful, but there will have to be the occasional scene setter. And I can't think of a better one than this:



Our first BLOODY SUNSET!!!!!!!!!

That's also this blogs first "IN JOKE", There might be a few of them and I make no apologies for them. If you don't pick up on an "In Joke" soon, you really do need to get closer to author. :-)

Well we had a fun and eventful week doing all the usual things you do while cruising the French coast, mainly eat. Then Beans and the Harvey's left.  See that's the kind of detail I like, They came spent a week eating and left, move on, no more holiday pics please. How However, there has to be an exception, There always is, isn't there............

The saga of Nick "Five Eggs" Harvey...



The evidence is all there... the rest of us missed out on our vital nutrious eggs because Nick, call me Prince Charles, needed FIVE eggs prepared for him before he found one that was to his liking!. Way to go Nick. Remember Nick "He that laughs last!!" and I own this Blog. :-)

Just as aside I want to share this with you. Most of you will remember that Beans raced with me in UHURU at the recent Oyster Cowes Regatta. Well after doing very well we were all very pleased to get some great photos from Ian Wright, a great sailing photographer. But it wasn't until the other day that I looked closely and then cropped  one of the pictures in tight that I spotted this.....


HOW MUCH FUN IS THIS GIRL HAVING.........



Love you Beans.... What a trooper.


Well enough of all this, this is only my first attempt at a blog and I am getting all emosional already. It's amazing what a virgin gin and tonic and a bit of Jean Michele Jarre can do in the middle of the night.

Well here we are us few happy troopers sailing across the Bay of Biscay, Josh & Claire, Lucie, Will, JP and yours truly.

Good night
.
Monday 25th August 2008