Still stacks to do before I go and it’s hard to find enough time for preparations whilst still working. However, I can make some progress at weekends.
Yesterday, I bought some more flares (pyrotechnic not 70s) and a sea anchor, Richard and I wrote out a list of small but important fitting out tasks to be completed next weekend, and I gave my new Omni Fuel lightweight stove a test run last night (impressive blue flame but it’s a noisy little beggar).
Fitness is improving. I’m still don’t have half the stamina I’ll need for parts of the voyage but I expect this to improve along the way. Ran 3 miles yesterday and went for a 40 minute fast paddle up the river this morning. Bright sunlight and blue sky reflected in calm water. Upriver, near Woodmill, I passed close to a young stag, with small antlers, eating leaves from a tree by the water’s edge. He stood watching me for a while before retreating into the trees. Swans also seem unperturbed by a person in a boat close by.
GPS mount. Dave Stubbs has spent hours and hours loading in waypoints into this GPS, and printing off OS maps of the coat onto A4 (so I can work out where I can get ashore).
All round white nav light magnetic mounting for when it’s not on top of mast. Should double as a ‘cabin’ light.
Pyrotechnic flares clipped to underside of seat.