I’ve come to a decision regarding my little fork in the road.
I’m currently in Dorset, having just got back from one of the local chandlers in Christchurch. I returned with a fishing rod, and a 22m of 8mm rope, which will be whipped into a new halyard when I get back to the boat.
I’m going for it. I’ve already told the marina that I’ll be cutting the length of my stay short by a month, so I’ll be setting off from London on the 2nd of May. I need to get some charts sorted, which is an annoyance with them costing £45 for each portfolio (and I seem to need three!!).
The plan is to pass the Dover straight and head into the Solent, eventually landing back here in Christchurch. I’ll have a bit of a break and then continue my journey around the coast until I reach the Ribble estuary, before heading inland to Preston docks, and marina. After that, I have no idea what I will do, but that’s the nature of the beast that is Nathan 
I expect this little Spring cruise to take me about 6 weeks since I’ll be doing little hops and taking my time to explore a bit of England.
I’m happy that I know have something to aim for on my horizon, but yet quite nervous about the whole thing. The dover straight looks like it’s going to be a right bastard of a sail single handed in a boat that does 5 knots, on a good day.
I must remember to keep turning right too, my little boat isn’t quite built for Biscay… yet
“…my little boat isn’t quite built for Biscay…”
Sailed Biscay in my absolutely standard Mk1 fin-keeled Corribee (my first – owned another Mk1 since then) about 12 yrs ago. It was a six-week-long summer cruise out of Crosshaven in Ireland to La Rochelle stopping in Brittany on the way back. Corribees are certainly *built* for it, however, having a boat that is prepared for it is an entirely different thing
. In my limited experience, the sailor will often “give -up” long before the boat will – I think this is particularly true of the little Corribee. Enjoy!
N