May 11, 2019
So we finally did it. On Sunday May 11, 2019 at 1700 hours (that’s 5 PM for non-military / boaty people), we left our berth at Lymington Marina in Southampton, UK and set sail on Florence’s maiden voyage to the Isles of Scilly, located beyond the tip of Cornwall. What a moment - after all our scheming, dreaming, and preparation, the day had finally come. Did we feel 100% ready? Not even close, but at some point you just need to draw a line in the sand and GO. From everything we have heard, you can only prepare so much, and most people who wait until everything feels completely ready don't ever actually go. And most of our learning will take place in real time, so we decided that as this was the day we had earmarked for departure, we should stick to our guns and just SLIP THE LINES!
Stephen's family came down south to see us off, as did some of our friends who live in the New Forest. It was definitely nervey slipping the lines for the first time, knowing that this was it and there was no turning back. It is meant to be a 32-hour sail from Southampton to the Scilly Isles, so we will sail through the night and for most of the day tomorrow. Conditions are actually pretty ideal, with a nice easterly wind that has pushed us out of the Solent beyond the Isle of Wight and should keep us on a broad reach for most of the night. We are lucky in that Florence is proving to be a fast boat, and we are currently getting 7.5-8.5 knots in only about 10-12 knots of breeze, which is pretty damn efficient. Go Flo!
The past several days have been incredibly stressful in terms of finalising work to be done - in typical boat fashion, there were multiple delays, unforeseen problems, things that should work that didn’t, and LOTS of additional expenses, but here we are - after almost 2 years of work, we have finally made the dream come true. I’d be lying if I said I was feeling entirely comfortable. This is a much bigger and more powerful boat than Stephen and I have ever sailed, and it feels quite different. It’s also a lot more complex in terms of systems, and already over the past 2 days we’ve had the radar break, AIS break, heads not function properly, steaming light break, all electric winchs currently malfunctioning... so yeah - not a terribly auspicious start. There is certainly a sense of achievement and of excitement, but at least on my end also a very real nervousness. I do NOT feel prepared. Stephen, I hope and I believe, is genuinely super energised. I am trying my best to absorb all the knowledge I can and to stay focused, calm and collected through the process. It will require a lot of stamina and perseverance, as we are just not used to this and find the whole thing a bit daunting. Stephen and I are now off watch while our skipper Doctor Steven Horrobin (about whom I will go into more detail later - he is a legend) takes first watch. In 3 hours at 10 PM, Stephen and I will be on for a 4-hour watch then go off watch for 4 hours at 2 AM. So sleep? Probably not so much, but we will try to get some rest. Dorothy, we are not in Notting Hill anymore!!!!
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