We're beginning to get just a little frustrated in our quest for adventure on the high seas. The plan was to have sold at least one of the two properties that we have on the market, but as of today we haven't had any reasonable offers. In fact apart from one silly offer we have not had one. This is down to the depressed state of the market, I suppose but it's very frustrating non the less. Without a sale we're stuck here on dry land, still trawling the internet for likely boats but how can we move on anything without the cash to buy.

In the meantime we're getting in some experience sailing this 100 year old gaff rigged cutter, which is fun. We don't sale her by ourselves though. She belongs to a trust with a few members who sail so we usually have another couple of people on board. We don't get to sail very far though as she is on a drying mooring here in Morcambe bay. She floats about 2 hours before high tide and has to be back about 2 hours after otherwise we would be aground. The tides and the weather play a large part in when we can sail her so we've only managed a couple of weekends this whole summer, which has been particularly naff here in the north of England this years.

Sailing Hearts of Oak is nothing like sailing a modern type of boat, although the principle is the same all the lines and sheets are hesian ropes which fasten to old fashioned cleats and are not at all friendly to handle. Mind you she feels very safe when she takes off, but this is an inshore fishing vessel not an ocean cruiser, and it takes at least four of us to sort out the sails and get her rigged to go.

But this is not getting us any nearer to our dream, we need to see at least one of our properties selling. Each time we get a we think maybe this will be it, but no.

Oh well patience I suppose, but it's hard sometimes to wait.