Preparations!

Once we were "hired" by our skipper we needed to get the yacht into tip-top shape for us to set sail. However, we hadn't even seen the boat yet and were getting quite anxious to get a feeling of which kind of vessel we'd be sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on.

The boat still had to be handed over to our skipper and was undergoing a few minor repairs, such as fixing the sliding door and a window. Therefore, we weren't allowed to get police clearance to that area of the marina in the RCYC. Nevertheless, Patrick and I were curious and decided to get in a sneak peek and this was our first viewing:

Two days later, the yacht was moved to the Elliot Basin where TUI Marine’s offices are based. We stepped onboard and were giggly with excitement; what a beautiful, luxurious vessel! There are three cabins with en-suite heads (bathrooms), an open plan saloon (lounge) with galley (kitchen) and navigation area. Above deck are more couches, benches and the cockpit (helm/steering). Patrick's parents (who came to visit) and Gisela also came onboard to check it out...

However, because we’re delivering a yacht that will be sold to a private owner, everything needs to be kept spotless and as if it’s unused. So we set about covering all the surfaces with clear sticky-wrap paper and masking tape to prevent any scratches or damage. Also, we can’t use the showers as we have to be very sparing with our fresh water supply. Hence, washing with saltwater on the deck will take some getting used to.

There is so much storage space onboard that our massive supply of food will not cramp our living spaces. Our skipper is a big fan of food so we won’t be starving or suffer from a lack of variety. We’ll have enough meat to last us 40 days, fresh fruit, veg, bread etc will be acquired along the way as we stop off at various islands and we have plenty tinned and long life provisions. Patrick and our first mate will take care of all the fishing duties and we’re all looking forward to our first tuna for some fresh sushi! Njummmmy!

After we made the yacht people-proof all that was left to do was wait for our equipment and set sail. We’re still waiting. We were meant to set sail 10 days ago. Now it seems that we’re leaving on Monday morning. The hold-up lies with the satellite phone. There are only a certain number of them in circulation between the various delivery skippers. As each skipper returns from a delivery, they bring the phone back for the next skipper. Our satellite phone is delayed with the skipper who’s only arriving next week Tuesday. Because we can’t keep waiting for another week our skipper has decided to depart on Monday and pick up the sat phone en-route (More about the route in another post).This means that we’ll have more stop-overs in more ports i.o.t. report back on our journey; i.e. fresh food throughout the entire trip plus more fresh water!

In the meantime, we've moved all our possessions onboard and made the cabin our own. The first night on the yacht was beautiful; it made everything more real... Now we just want to set sail and get going on our first delivery. Til then!