Very brief this week.
The diesel tank has a temporary "fix" so we are able to head off as planned. We even have a contingency plan to get us back to "home port", if necessary.
Robin has arrived from Japan and has confidently assumed the role of Chief Engineer for the trip! We pick up Lyall (from Canada) tonight at Heerenveen. It certainly will be "3 Old Blokes on a Boat"!
Another Aussie with a boat...
We picked up Robin and Joy's new boat from Zwaagwesteinde and "sailed" her to Heerenveen - a very pleasant Sunday afternoon! I even got sunburnt sitting at the "upstairs" steering wheel. It is so invigorating to have some nice weather after the long winter - even though it won't be lasting more than a few days - at least it is a sign of things to come - a reason for optimism!
It took us about 5.5 hours to do the 45 km. The big old diesel truck motor didn't miss a beat! It was a little bit sad for the owners to say goodbye, but we promised to keep them up to date with any news over the coming years. (They even rang later in the evening to make sure that we had made it OK!). Robin and Joy will eventually do some long-term canal cruising if all goes to plan.
Some photos along the way...
In other news...
The new toilet on Jacoba (aka "Australia") is fully functional (but not yet road-tested)
Our long-term client Lucas found a kangaroo at the op-shop and bought it as a gift and "companion" for the trip!
Ben seems to be getting some work in Madrid, but oddly enough we ended up having better weather at the weekend than he did!
In my sometimes quest of looking at "Houses on the Water", this one turned up in Leeuwarden last week... for a mere €1.4 million!
Just as an editorial note... I'm not at all sure if I'll be able to post anything over the next 4 weeks. I certainly intend to maintain a Ships Log and take plenty of photos - so there may well be a Mammoth Issue at the end!
