Come 31st May, or as soon after as weather permits, it's "all aboard" for Catherine and me on our 40 foot sailing boat, "Aragorn", out of Dun Laoghaire harbour, hang a right at Dalkey Island, and see what happens.
In truth, our minds were well made up long before now, but we had to stay shtum for business reasons. No more! It's the nomadic life for us, and we're shouting it from the rooftops.
And OK, we have a specific destination. We're going to hunker down in the Algarve from November through February, before heading East into the Med for Summer 2009. After all, we want to be where the weather's warm come Winter. The downside being this imposes a schedule; we can't simply dawdle our way down, or we might end up in a French or Spanish Winter, not much better than our own. And that's another thing that's going to hurry us up : weather. I'm told it gets foggy along the North of Spain in the latter part of August, so we want to be South of Finisterre by September 1st, and around Cape St Vincent on the Southwest corner of Portugal in early October.
Gosh, we'll barely have had a couple of pints in the Scilly Isles but we'll be upping anchor & heading for France. A few days cruising the Glenan Islands, perhaps a week on the Morbihan inland sea. But making our entrance between the towers into La Rochelle's old harbour is a moment to savour for ever.
The Spanish coast beckons, but wouldn't it be a shame to be in France at that time of year and not wait to join in on Bastille Day on the 14th of July?
Little over a month to whistle stop through Bilbao, Gijon, La Coruna, and the Rias of Northwest Spain. A visit to Santiago de Compostello is a must, but I don't think we'll walk! What a happy dilemma that in order to visit the next beautiful place we must leave the one we are in.
As for funding this, well, you know, it doesn't cost much to drop the anchor in a sheltered bay and hook a couple of fish for dinner. Hoisting the sails in a fair wind not only means free transport for us, but for our home and contents too! Ye can keep yer Estate Agents' commissions, yer Solicitors' fees, and yer removal vans ye land lubbers!
Of course we'll have to pay to stop in ports and marinas to shelter when the weather's bad, or just for a rest. When the wind doesn't oblige we may have to use the engine, and that's three expensive litres of diesel an hour. We will offload more cash stocking up on land produce, on the odd "bouteille du vin", or on visiting local hostelries. And of course there'll be ongoing maintenance and repairs to Aragorn. But continental prices are favourable and with renting the house and our savings, a little budget planning should keep us indefinately.
When are we coming back? Wrong question! Not when, if! If we get ill, or go broke, or get fed up with warm weather or challenging seas, or maybe we'll just wait 'til we're too old for adventure.
We might even decide we don't like the lifestyle and just return quietly in August after an interesting French cruise!
Hmm, I don't think so!
Copyright © Pat Egan 2008, all rights reserved.
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