28 DAYS LATER

For several years, we had talked of spending a month cruising the West Country in our beloved Grandezza 27 OC, but it wasn’t until this summer that the stars seemed to align. Two of our three small businesses could be left dormant, while our main business could sustain itself for a month without our input. We set aside £1,200 for fuel, £250 for moorings as well as a further £100 for possible breakdowns. Now, with everything in place, we had the boat serviced, fitted three new AGM 100Ah batteries with a 360-watt solar array to keep them topped up and bought an EcoFlow Delta portable powerpack/inverter so we could still have 240V power at anchor. We then drove from our home in Kent to our berth in Port Solent for the start of our big adventure.

CAST OFF

This is it, it’s finally happening. Luggage stowed, provisions stocked, boat washed and it’s time to cast off from our home berth in Port Solent bound for Dartmouth. I’m always a bit twitchy after an engine service, having had some bad experiences in the past, and as we motor past Portsmouth’s historic naval docks, I’m not convinced the engine sounds right. I put Debbie at the helm, raise the hatch and have a look round. Everything is fine, it’s just me worrying.