After months of hard work, changing a bowsprit, replacing our old teak deck and thousands of other little things it’s time for Guppy and us to head south again. Actually if there wouldn’t have been so much work I would have loved to leave much earlier while it wasn’t so bloody cold up here yet! 

We started off easy, sailing from Medembik to IJmuiden via the inland waterways, and stayed in IJmuiden for the night waiting for the wind to turn a little more favourable. This year has been a very strange year in terms of wind and weather. For weeks and weeks the wind has been strong southerlies with only the shortest breaks. To short to really get anywhere. My dad who left a couple of weeks ago made it to Cherbourg in a few little hops and has been stuck there, waiting out one front rolling in after the other. But now there is a little window! Not a great one, it’s still high on the wind or no wind, that’s  preferable over 50knots on the nose though 😉 So we did a fair bit of bashing into waves and being cold. I cursed the north sea waves again – like I do every year. They are just such short choppy idiotic waves, I can’t wait to get into the ocean swell again. We somehow made it to Calais, with some tacking, motor sailing and patience. But it had taken too long and the current turned against us – and honestly if the current is against around Cap Griz-Nez you may as well throw out the anchor. We didn’t go anywhere for most of the following six hours. So now the stronger winds that we wanted to use to get to Cherbough came onto the nose and we ended up tacking again. And having a fair bit of water on deck when the wind turned and the current ran into the wind. Oh and then it started raining – and it didn’t stop. 

Ah, we’re just living the dream. I’m really selling this sailing stuff now right? 😉 

No, but honestly, I’m so happy to be out at sea again, away from the bustle and hustle on land. At sea, where there is time to rest the mind and think. To actually start looking at the bigger picture again instead of hundreds of little tasks and errands that still need to be completed. Of course they are still there, but at sea I can’t actually do them so I am forced to stop. And it feels so good. Even when soaking wet, cold, tired and dealing with a seasick baby in a sloshy boat. I’m afraid Alex got my genes and actually turned white when we turned around the piers of IJmuiden. Poor baby. He did get over it quickly though and seemed to do well when laying down. Tim on the other hand has no idea what seasickness is and is happily using the floor as a slide while healing over. Letting his car drive down and play with his Duplo as if we are in port and the boat isn’t moving at all. 

Another week to go before we get to Portugal, that’s if the weather will be kind to us. Can’t wait to get there and welcome this years young Guppy crew onboard to go on more amazing adventures – into warmer weather 😉 

Forever learning & forever grateful for the things we have, have done and are able to do. 

Laura