Not much sailing these last few weeks. In fact: no sailing whatsoever. Weather stopped play. Gales and ice/snow on deck. Not even a hint of Spring on the horizon.

Not been sitting still though. Ideal moment to take stock. Where are we? What have we got? What to do next? Where to go? You know the kind of thing I’m talking about.

First thing first. We checked the drinks locker last week. We’re out of gin (shock – horror) and beer, but there’s still plenty of rum and a couple of bottles of red plonk. To be remedied forthwith.

Again been up to check on the boat yesterday. The old girl is holding up well. At times better than I am. I am also in the process of rediscovering storage lockers and what treasure lurks there.

- I think I may have found a staysail. To be investigated further as I did not take it out of its bag. Too cold to hoist it anyway.
- Also found a hand-held VHF. I knew we had one somewhere. Now I just have to find the charger. And, if memory serves, there’s another set hiding somewhere.
- The boat paperwork could do with some sorting out too. I keep everything (manuals/receipts/log books), but I always seem to have trouble finding stuff later on.
- Two more lockers to go.

For a while it had been uncertain whether or not we were going to keep the boat or downsize. The decision now made, it’s time to sort the last few remaining items on our wish-list.

- I have asked for a quote to alter our pulpit. And I’ve also got this cunning plan to use our jockey-pole as a removable bowsprit.
- I have located a supplier in Germany selling brand new, but older models of ICOM SSB radios. If I could recover the VAT (still under investigation) then including ATU it would come to just over £1K. Absolute bargain when you consider that the latest model costs close to £3K.
Not insisting on the latest model gizmo has already saved me a fair packet in the past.
- Also hot on the trail of a wind vane self-steering system.

If I could get these three items sorted this year than that would just leave the electric windlass, fridge, solar panels and mast steps to be sorted next year. Already have been quoted for the mast steps and that came as a pleasant surprise. Not often that something costs less than I thought it would.

I’ve always wanted to sail the high latitudes. Don’t know why. It seems strange that a child of the Tropics should even consider sailing the high latitudes, but ‘Strange’ seems to be my middle name. Anyway, after these last few months, Arctic sailing is very much on the back burner. Time to set our sights on all points south. This will come as a great relief to the other half of the crew.

If all goes according to plan, this should be the last year we keep the boat in Britain. We’ve been on the waiting list for a berth/mooring in Brittany for some time now and it’s only a matter of time before our number is bound to come up. Should reduce our berthing fees by over 70% and we’d have Biscay right on our doorstep.

It’s never so dark as just before the dawn.