Welcome to the first of many regular news items relating to Candida's sure-to-be 'awesome' progess across the high seas.

Today's offering has been prepared by Steve 'Blogger' Lee, and will be updated on a regular basis throughout the next 9 months until Candida's scheduled return in May 2009. .

 Steve 'Blogger' Lee, beerholder grade 3, deputy unter-sommellier. Atlantic and Carribean Sections.

 

Herewith a hastily prepared photo diary of Candida's launch party at Yarmouth on Sunday 24 August when Roger and Tess Granger and the motley crew were delighted to welcome many friends and family to christen the boat and wish her, and all who sail upon her, a safe and not too adventurous journey.

Candida plans to leave about 10am on Tuesday 26 August from Hayles pontoon, Yarmouth. On board will be skipper Roger Granger, David Fox and Ann Hinton.

Ist stop Fowey to collect fourth crew member Jess Tyson, next stop La Coruna, northern Spain.

More details of crew on board, and blow by blow accounts as they happen on each leg, will follow.

As this web diary grows with daily reports it is of course hoped to improve the presentation, content and information as much as possible, but for now my main aim is to put a few pictures on the site to show what an excellent bash we had yesterday and give the reader a feel for the amount of units of alcohol likely to be consumed over the next 9 months.

Many thanks to Roger and Tessa Granger for laying on such an excellent party and the weather to go with it.

 

Candida is the boat on the LEFT of the picture.

 

Waving or drowning? No, it's not your eyesight, the pontoon really is leaning at an alarming angle because of scientifically proven fact that wine is heavier than water, giving new meaning to the term 'walk aboard mooring' . With apologies to Hayles boatyard - we expect the pontoon to float again on Tuesday morning. .

Our concerned skipper witnesses yet another attempt to smuggle unlicensed canapes on board when the perpetrators thought he wasn't looking.

Geoff Wood-Hill (left,atlantic section) and Roger supervise the first round of the 'deck candy' competition

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Dave Stenning and Marge (Peppermint) and Judith Reid (La Coruna-Canaries section) demonstrating their status as fashion icons.

 

Ingrid, and Mike Hinton politely laugh at one of the photographer's pathetic jokes

Roger consoles Chrissie Wood-Hill on the sad news she might not qualify for a Candida T-Shirt

David Fox (Yarmouth-La Coruna), Christine Graves (OberBunkmeister, ship's nurse and OberMenumeister, Atlantic and Carribbean sections), Teresa Fox

Ann Hinton (Yarmouth-La Coruna) practicing emergency re-hydration

Chrissie Wood-hill, Rog ('Captain Morgan') Granger, Geoff Wood-Hill and Anne Wood-Hill test the 'Mark 1 Ernst &Young safety umbrella', kindly donated by Geoff's employers in lieu of holiday pay, while Roger discusses today's awards of tots of rum.

Tony Glover (Caribbean) interviews Lizzie in part 2 of the deck candy auditions.

Marg Verdon gives Geoff some pointers on the art of navigation in fog .

Tony Glover explains the finer points of 'pole dancing' which is one of the shortlisted events for our mid-atlantic party.

Candida security officers escort Geoff's mum off the boat after she has been caught trying to stow away. She has expressed concerns that Geoff has not been able to hide enough pairs of clean socks on board.

Tessa Granger and Marg Verdon calculating the amount of spaghetti required for a 9-month voyage

Stuart and Alex (bottom left) finding that Stugeron does not alleviate pontoon sickness.

A worrying dietary development here - notice that Christine, Judy and Jock have broken into ship's stores of cheese sticks, which were to form the main course for a number of mid-atlantic menus. Now we are definitely going to have to go shopping in Tenerife. A sixth member of the 'Cheese-stick gang' (alias the 'Supermarket Six' has yet to be identified by the Stores Police - anyone with any information as to this miscreant's identity should telephone Cheesewatch immediately.

Steve 'Blogger' Lee demonstrating a new method of CPR to an unresponsive ship's nurse. Mouth to mouth would seem to be the next option if she remains uncooperative.

 

That's all for now but please do keep visiting our site for regular updates. And please dont worry, or think the worst, if there is no new entry on the diary. If seas are rough or the communications/satellite link is poor we may not be able to update every day, but we will try to do so whenever possible. This may just be an (automatic) update on the position map at the top of the page, or we might just post a brief entry saying 'all well, seas rough, short on cheeses sticks etc'. This will  be followed by a longer entry, when conditions improve, or when our strength has been boosted by finding Geoff's mum's secret stash of chocolate bars, dehydrated moules mariniere or pot noodles (lobster thermidor flavour). When we are in port and have access to broadband we will be able to add more pictures and more detailed text for your entertainment. Another reason for lack of update on our webdiary is that it may be Dotty's turn to do the daily blog and she is quite simply exhausted by her duties as ship's mascot and by doing all the dog watches. Or she might be in the dog house for some canine misdemeanor; presumably she was named 'Dotty' for good reason.

But please rest assured that we will be dogged in our determination to keep you updated on our progress.

 

All the best for now from Candida and from all who sail upon her.