Friday 31st May

Most of the jobs are now done. The Rally boats are in the marina dressed overall with flags fluttering from their masts. Susan joined us. jonathan is coming tomorrow. We've had a briefing and all the crews have been for a curry. Not long to go before we're off.

Thursday 30th May

Most of the rally boats are now here. I thought I'd got the boat well prepared but spent the day working on all the problems that have arisen since we set off here. A new main halyard was fitted and the rolling reefing was repaired. It will be interesting to see what breaks on an extended voyage.

Wednesday 29th May

Sailing is a process of continuous maintenance. We've already broken several vital bits and we've not yet started the rally proper. Today we sailed round from Dartmouth to Plymouth with light winds and smooth seas. We're now in Mayflower Marina and some other rally boats are already here.

Tuesday 28th May

Shortly after we arrived here in Dartmouth the wind increased and the heavens dropped rain by the bucketload. We all had a siesta and ate in board. Today we did some repairs, walked to the castle and had a fish supper.

Monday 27th May

At midnight we left our temporary mooring on a buoy outside Yarmouth. The moon was low and we headed into the darkness with the flashing red, green and white of the buoys to guide us. Once through the Needles channel we turned West. The wind was inexorably on our bows and we pounded into the waves all night. Daylight saw more of the same and we entered Dartmouth in time for a late lunch. The forecast is for worsening weather so we'll stay put until it improves.

26th May We're off

After all the preparation we're finally on the way. Michael came on board this afternoon and we motored up to Yarmouth. It was painfully slow slogging up against the wind and tide. We're now moored to a buoy waiting for the tide to change at midnight. The plan is to leave for Dartmouth which we should reach by tomorrow afternoon.

Saturday 18th May

Today Kennan and Melanie joined us for the day. For once the weather was OK and we motored against the tide and with no wind to get to Newtown River to drop anchor for lunch. We then returned with the tide downwind to Gosport. Yesterday the watermaker was comissioned. Almost all the kit is onboard and the boat is several inches lower in the water. Next weekend we'll start heading off to Plymouth and beyond.

Sunday & Monday 5th & 6th May

We spent Saturday 4th in Haslar working on Imagine. On Sunday Emily and Raff came down by train and we had enough time to get to Osbourne Bay to anchor for lunch. While there we met the Cave family on Impossible Dream, another 385 also doing the Rally Portugal. We were back in Haslar in time to be joined by Alice, Hermes and Alice's bump. The weather on Monday was good but the wind was light. We motored to the Beaulieu River where we anchored for lunch. We then put up the Parasail for the downwind leg back to Portsmouth.

Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd May

Iain and Linda joined us for two days. We had a late start and a pleasant sail up to Newtown Creek where we stayed the night at anchor. On the way we tried the Parasail for the first time.

Before we weighed anchor on the Friday I tried out my new kit to climb the mast and check out our navigation lights. We sailed to Osborne Bay for lunch practicing man over board drill on the way. Back at Haslar Iain helped attach the new liferaft to the pushpit. We had supper with Linda and Iain followed by an early night.

Wednesday 1st May

We walked into Chichester for lunch then back to the boat to refuel and leave through the lock on the rising tide. We had an uneventful crossing of the bar and were back to Haslar for supper.