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Well! In the end the new engine IS the show model from the Southampton boat show. It arrived at the yard on Tuesday and fitting should be complete for a relaunch of 'Tin Tin of St Mawes' on Thursday afternoon. Paul has completed the official vessel registration but found that he had to add 'of St Mawes' as the shorter name had already been taken. Last week, I spent several days helping prepare the boat and getting hold of various bits and pieces for the voyages ahead. These included; an extra fuel filter,  ocean rated Dan buoy,  2 litres of sun cream,  Tin Tin visiting cards,  4 x 20m mooring ropes,  new seals for the aft lazarettes,  fixing 5x 12v fans in cabins for the hotter climes,  removing all the dry food stocks left over from our earlier 'Tin Tin Around Britain' adventures,  removing the 35m of anchor chain ready for the 100m of replacement chain so that we have a chance of anchoring in some of the deeper anchorages we ...

Nervous excitement, apprehension, that feeling of 'Lets just get it started NOW!!' Last week I accompanied Paul and Anne to Saxon Wharf in Southampton for the relaunch of Tin Tin after a summer rest on land following our Tin Tin around Britain excitement in May and June. She was already in the slings when we arrived to inspect the new bimini and cover plate for the retractable bow thuster (which dropped off somewhere in the Western Isles!). The new bow thruster cover plate... BOLTED on! The new cover plate looks really well made and as if it certainly won't come off in a hurry. We searched for signs of where the original had been attached but found not a sign.. so we suspect that it was probably held on with ties and and hope... Views of the cockpit bimini  This was intended to be the 10 day the run up to the start of Tin Tin around the World  . Little did we know what would transpire over the next few hours.... After checking all seacocks were open ...