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Tuesday 31 May 2016

Day 2

Well today sneaked past in what felt like minutes. We have put more stuff on the spirit of falmoth than i thought she would be able to hold. I think if we pushed anymore stuff into the cupboards it would start poppi g out like a game of "whack a mole" We have nearly a full compliment of crew. Just a couple to arrive now. There is not much space on board. Living conditions are going to be pretty cramped. We slip lines at 1845 tonight and will sail up to foye about 4 hours away (depending on the wind). Life is going to be hard for the next 2 months.

Tonight will be our first meal onboard. No idea what it will be but with any luck it wont be spag bol. Its not that i dislike spag bol its just i have a real concern that will be a staple over the next 2 months and would like a more inventive start to our catering than that.

Its good to get to know new people and quite nerve racking at the same time. The crew are already trying to become a team i guess its just the military way. People just want to help.

Stay safe, speak soon

Russ

Day 1

Today i woke up onboard a tall ship. It is really the start of my adventure. I will be  leaving my family for 2 months. While leaving them feels like the hardest part of this challenge i am sure there will be others during the voyage. When i first decided to take part in this adventure i realised it would be all or nothing. I would have to let the world of material things go.

Even as i write this i know it is another world i will be entering over the next two months. The motion of the water and the sounds of the sea will be with me 100% of the time. I will have my guard up 100% of the time as i have some serious trust issues. This will all be exhausting. I hope over the course of the voyage i can address these issues and build my self confidence which has been low for some time. I have a companion for the journey and his name is Fraser. He is a teddy bear given to me by my daughter because "he wants a great adventure too" I will through his eyes show my daughter the diversity and beauty of the english coastline.

After my first night on the boat i realise i need to make my bed more comfortable. It was not a great sleep. I have the need to sleep some more i just cant wait for tonight but today is going to be busy preping the boat for setting sail tomorrow.

Stay safe, speak soon

Russ

Dont forget to follow

Friday 13 May 2016

New social media

I have been playing with this new social media appover last few days.its good fun give it a try

Follow me on Beme. https://beme.com/the_russellpollard

Saturday 7 May 2016

The voyage part 1

Well its not really the first part of the voyage its more about my prep. I have been getting excited and scared about the challenge ahead of me.

I have started to pack and laid out everything i thought i would need on my bed. I then looked at the bag i have and realised i was slightly over optomistic of the possible tardis function of my bag.

2 month on a boat with 1 small bag leads me to think long and hard about the people fleeing syria and how hard it must be to pack knowing you may never get home. I realise i will get home my point is it made me think.

So packing aside i have bern teaching myself all about night identification of boats. Well revising i had an amazing skipper who managed to get this stuck in even my collinder of a brain. He had a real talkent as an instructor.

Well its all good for now with 25 days to go i will definitely be updating here youtubetastic and audio booming the hell out of the trip.

Below is the route with the dates and its all looking good. If you are going to be near any of our stop offs come say hi.

Stay safe, speak soon,

Russ

Dont forget to follow

Date: 2016 Voyage Note the schedule
May 31 Falmouth.
June
1 Depart Falmouth. Arrive Plymouth. 
2 Depart Plymouth.
3 Arrive Weymouth or Poole
4 Depart Weymouth or Poole
5
6 Arrive Margate
7 Depart Margate.
8 Day Off/Shore side engagement
9
10 Depart Ipswich.
11
12
13
14 Arrive Whitby or Brunswick Bay
15 Depart Whitby. Arrive Newcastle.
16
17
18
19
20
21 Depart Newcastle. Arrive Holy Island or Firth of Forth
22 Depart Holy Island
23 Arrive Peterhead 
24 Depart Peterhead.  Arrive Wick. Depart Wick
25
26 Possible Pentland Firth Race in this slot
27
28 Arrive Orkney.
29 D.O/Shore side engagement
30
July
1 Depart Orkney.
2 Arrive Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
3 D.O/Shore side engagement
4 Depart Lewis
5
6 Arrive Tobermory, Mull.
7 D.O/Shore side engagement
8 Depart Mull.
9 Arrive Greenock. (Glasgow) 19 DAYS
10 Day Off /Shore side engagement.
11
12 Depart Greenock. Arrive Isle of Arran
13 Depart Arran
14
15  Arrive Isle of Man.
16 D.O/Shore side engagement
17 Depart Isle of Man. Arrive Whitehaven. 
18 Depart Whitehaven.  
19
20 Arrive Liverpool
21
22
23 Depart Liverpool. Arrive Holyhead.
24 Depart Holyhead.
25
26
27 Arrive Lundy
28 Depart Lundy.
29 Arrive Isles of Scilly
30 D.O/Shore side engagement
31
August
1 Depart Scilly. Arrive Falmouth