Our final Blue Water Rally bash was held in a Taverna on the outskirts of Agios Nikolias. It wasn't exactly fancy dress but everyone had been asked to wear something they had bought along the way. Peter was resplendent in a mixture of Fiji (sarong), Thailand (shirt) and Egypt (headdress) while Dorothy combined a Bali dress with a Thai silk shawl and some new party shoes bought in Crete!!

We performed our final Neva song and presented all the Rally boats with a 'Neva Songbook' containing all our songs and poems from the Rally. We asked for donations for the songbook and due to everybody's generosity we raised over 400 Euros which will be split between 'Wendy's' orphanage in Kupang the Savu Savu Yacht Club which provides free sailing lessons to local children in Fiji.

In the Lionel Bart musical 'Oliver', Fagin sings this song as he tries to decide whether to change the lifestyle he has become used to. We thought that this was an appropriate sentiment for a song for the end of Rally party in Crete.


A man has to have a boat, doesn't he?
He has to be afloat, doesn't he?
But we desperately miss the mountains all covered in snow
And we've a granddaughter now and we need to watch her grow...

We're reviewing the situation
To the call of the sea we're quite impervi-ouse
We've been celebrating, circumnavigating,
Now we think we'll have to buy ourselves a house

A house can't sink, it can't capsize
It comes in a capacious size
It's anchored firmly to the ground
A view that doesn't swing around - -
We'll have the same view every day
We can't just up and sail away...
I think we'd better think it out again!


We're reviewing the situation
We don't think that we suit a life afloat
Engineering, is not endearing
We think we're going to have to sell the boat

No more time in bilges dark
Or hanging half way up the mast
No lockers full of old spare parts - -
No cheering when the engine starts
Rewarding ourselves with a G & T
As the sun sets over a golden sea...
I think we'd better think it out again!


We're reviewing the situation
This sailing life is making us a slob
Our days of cruising are filled with boozing
We think we'll have to get ourselves a job

A job will pay a huge amount
Provide a nice expense account
An office with a city view - -
A boss to tell us what to do
We'll have to work from 9 to 5
And drive round the M25...
I think we'd better think it out again!

We're reviewing the situation
We're relaxing now the Rally is complete
It must be said I'm fed up of deadlines
We think this year we might just sail round Crete

We'll put our Rally Guide away
And only sail 10 miles a day
We'll fly our battle flag no more - -
Get no more help from Paramour
No cockpit beers with the other crews
No welcome cocktails - no free booze
We think we'd better do it all again!