Fai Tira Final Blog Contribution

Well that’s it then, this really is the end and it’s also my final blog contribution of the trip. So it’s probably appropriate that for the last time, I put together a few wordy bits to a accompany Peter’s photoee bits. After all, it occurs to me, that it’s just about how we’ve communicated our progress around the globe for much of the last two years……. So why not finish as we’ve carried on?

It was perhaps fitting then, that our final challenge was a passage that included a trip across The Bay Of Biscay, although this time there were three of us and Barrie proved to be great company.

Two years ago it was the scene of our introduction to just what the Atlantic could throw at us. Then, with almost all of its fury, it came at us roaring like an enraged lion. How grateful we were then, that for the whole of this trip, it hardly did anything that would rate much scarier, than the mew of a fluffy pussy cat!

And so it was.

We entered the English Channel having encountered conditions that, although cold and autumnal, did at least allow us one final fling at the thing we desired most (As far as the boat was concerned!) and we were best at….I think……proper sailing!

It seemed fitting then, that I found myself handing over to Peter at the end of my watch just as the early rays of weak light illuminated the Eastern sky and we were both  able to share the first view of the English coastline since turning  our backs on it two years ago……. Quite poignant really!

It would still be a number of hours before we entered the Dart Estuary, but this was no time to go below to catch up on sleep, no matter how tempting and soon Barrie was up and joined us for the final approach.

Before long, the Scarries marker buoy was drifting past our port beam. Coastguards Cottages emerged from the headland mist and the entrance to the river Dart opened up before us……Fai Tira was finally home!

It was then that we spotted the Dartmouth lifeboat out on exercise. It came across to greet us and just happened to have a bottle of champagne on board. It was this that gave us a hint of just what sort of reception awaited us. We weren’t disappointed. As we rounded the kink in the river and eased our way past the busy lower ferry, the embankment became a scene of noise, colour and emotion, as friends, family and even puzzled onlookers ensured that this would be a welcome to remember!

Once moored and secure, there were stories to recount, friends to re-acquaint and relief to be expressed.

It is a strange thing, and something that I heard confirmed in a comment from Peter. It, in some ways, feels like we’ve not been away. Almost like one day we just got on a boat, did a bit of sailing, and then

returned. However, in truth even I have to admit, it was a bit of an adventure and I suppose, no small achievement.

There was the exciting, the boring, the spectacular and the mundane. There were dangerous situations and the safe ones, emotion and calm…… but what was always present was the knowledge that we were different. It set us a little bit aside and made almost all the traumas worthwhile.

We have also learnt that our progress has proved important and followed by many who have expressed pleasure in reading of our exploits. For this we both feel truly grateful and humble.

Now it’s back to reality and the adjustment to normality. Our problem is that, for us, normality seems to have changed a bit.

Anyhow surely that can’t be beyond us…….. Look what we’ve just done!

So it’s goodbye from me and it’s goodbye from him!