As our leaving date approaches, at a seemingly ever accelerated pace, life has become a matter of trying to get as much done each day as possible. We end the day comparing notes and reporting how many things we have managed to tick off one or other of the to do lists. We are beginning to realise that we can’t leave with absolutely all the i’s dotted and every t crossed and that if we stayed until everything was done we would probably never actually go.

One big tick this week was the completion of the First Aid kit, we are now officially a floating hospital! It has been a mammoth task trying to decide exactly what to take with us and I have to thank our Doctor friend Peter and his colleagues for all the work they have put into getting everything together for us. We all feel that we have probably far too much stuff and hope that we will never need any of it, but nobody will be able to accuse us of not being prepared. I have to also say a big thanks to Peters wife Joanna who must have spent hours bagging and labelling everything up, the First Aid boxes are definitely the most organised part of the boat. No pressure with all the spares then Rick!

Another bit of excitement was getting the new cockpit table onboard yesterday, it really makes Raya look finished. We have had plenty of visitors over the last couple of weeks and with all this warm weather have been eating on deck, from our laps, off towels as table cloths and from Ricks work bench. Typically the moment we have a proper table the temperature has dropped and today we ate lunch below. Never mind it looks great and will be in full use very soon.

More ticks appeared as we ordered new prescription sunglasses, Rick sorted out his phone contract, we bought four light weight quilts and various other household bits and continued to fight through the piles of paperwork that still hang over us. Rick replaced the wire drops in the davits with Dyneema and spliced new harnesses and I have started a more detailed passage plan.

I think we are beginning to feel a bit jaded by all this preparation, feels like it’s time to go.