It all started with an advert that saw us driving 200 miles from Ealing to (sunny) Hull to look at a 40-year old boat we couldn’t sail, in which to undertake a trip we hadn’t really planned… Yet…

We fell in love with Rose Rambler of Devon (and her story) immediately and were already referring to her as if we owned her on the journey home. That was the spark that started it all, and so it continues; magazines are being bought, books being read, budgets developed, video clips watched, courses done, technology bought (Jamie…!), sailing lingo being learnt (slowly), maps pored over, dive spots and anchorages bookmarked…

The next steps comprised a contract, a survey, and a sea trial – the vagaries and complexities of marine contracts were hitherto unknown to us and we (well, Jamie to be honest) launched into it with gusto – drafts and re-drafts went back and forth over several weeks before a copy, followed by an original was signed and witnessed. Only then could the boat be lifted for the survey.

Another sunny day in Hull found us… looking at the hull, and the surveyor made a surprisingly small list of jobs to be done – new cutlass bearing, new faceplate to the head outflow, new anode – before the most recent sunny day in Hull saw us out on the water for the first time! Even so early in the process – before first sailing on her – it has been a huge learning curve. What’s this part called? What does it do? How does it work? Isn’t drilling a hole in the hull a bad thing? (not always) etc. Two people with very little experience of anything nautical have had a whole new marine world opened up to them, and there is still so far to go!

The day of the sea trial arrived, coinciding with Rosemary’s birthday… Aside from trying to get a slot to leave and return to the marina before a powerboat race started at the entrance, and a slightly worrying moment when the engineer shouted up from the engine bay ‘There’s water coming in’ (turned out to be a sea cock from the internal water tank that had been left open), everything went smoothly, and we got the sails up and actually sailed!! It brought the whole idea into reality: part ‘Blimey, this is actually going to happen’ as well as part (a more comforting) ‘sailing is not as beyond us as we thought’! Tim and Jo (who we are buying RR from) were brilliant in getting us involved on the short trip on the Humber – winching, getting the sails up, steering etc – and we loved every second of it. It’s so exciting to know that the plan is coming together and we are nearing the end of the first step before the start of the long journey – both metaphorical and physical…

Jamie at the helm!

Out on the Humber

Alongside (Hull Marina)