December and the clock is ticking

Well having returned from the warmth of the Algarve there have been many things to sort out and plan , The main bilge pump I felt needed a new diaphragm kit so all the rubber bits will be new , the chart plotter chip needs updating and for that it has to be sent to Jeppersons in Italy , £ 148.00 later it is right up to date , locate stainless screws and nuts for the furler that has had new bearings put in so will act as new when I put it back together, Albertina will be making a spare pendulum for the hasler just in case of loss or breakage , gotta start thinking New life-raft and flare pack even though there are lots of Flares on the boat, "Cant have to many flares a mate once said " I will need some new oilies for the trip back even though it will be July/August the sun don't shine like it does in the Algarve .A hundred things need sorting and it is just a matter of listing everything and ticking of when completed .
One important task was to meet up with David Hopkins , who will be my crew from the Algarve to the Azores, he live's in Zurich and so when he flew in for a few day's we arranged to meet and have a bite to eat in Meadow-hall Sheffield , It was a great and positive meeting and I felt we got on great , we had a lot to chat about in a small amount of time , Likes and dislikes on food , choice of life jacket, and so much more, David I would guess as being late thirties/early forties was fit, and good looking and madly keen to do a trip like this on a small yacht , he is little inexperienced and will learn a lot on this trip alone , He was a flight engineer with the R.A.F and flew Nimrods on search and rescue and other such missions in the north Atlantic , he is used to low level flying and claims that sea sickness doe's not affect him, I wish I could say the same , But I know how to deal with it when it hits , the cooking will be the real devil but I am up for that task and am already sorting out the menu's. The meeting finished with a committed hand shake and we went our separate way,s .knowing that when we next meet in early March it will be to relaunch Simo and have a week together sailing and taking her back to her mooring on the Guidiana river where she will wait patiently for early June, when the real preparations will start for a trip that Simo at least will love,

  So we have met David and now we wait , and at some stage we will meet Glen who has kindly agreed to sail Simo from the Azores back to Ipswich with me , Glen is from the States and byt he sound of it is pretty fit as he does a lot of mountain bike stuff , but enough for now we will get a full update in January.