Current Position :
50 47 51N
01 06 89W
Haslar Marina
We are done! Everything is now on board and the good news is Stiletto has not sunk under the weight of it all ! The back cabin is now rammed full of stuff including the stand up paddle board and boogie boards. The kayak is tied to the rails on the portside deck and the dinghy sits nicely on the bow deck.
The " naughty boy locker" works perfectly now that the mezzanine floor has been made and everything has its place. At one stage we had 3 trollies full to the brim on the pontoon and we did wonder if it was all going to fit. After several attempts at putting "stuff" in and taking it out again we got there.
We drove the car up to Chelmsford as Andreas' eldest daughter Victoria will use it whilst we are away. Also a good opportunity to meet up with all 3 girls and their men for supper and a final farewell. We caught the train back and to our horror paid £76 for 2 single tickets from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour. Had we bought them on line the cost would have been £29 !!! Shocking and such a rip off. Lesson learnt.
We have our battle flag - what's that you ask? It's a flag that is hoisted either prior to battle or when a boat is in Harbour. Our battle flag reflects the elements that are us. Andreas' Greek roots in the form of the Spartan helmet and Greek flag, our British roots in the form of the Union Jack and the Stiletto logo. It's huge - 6ft x 4ft - and will look fabulous when flying.
We are on schedule to slip our lines on the tide Friday morning. A stop off at the fuel pontoon to fill the tank and then on to the Isle of Wight where we will spend a few days in our favourite anchorages, say goodbye to family and friends and recharge our batteries before heading across the channel..
Song for this post: One step beyond by Madness
Thought for this post: Preparing to go "off grid" can be very stressful but the end result will be life changing.
Highlight for this post: Being ripped off by National Rail - we won't miss them!!