The Ship sails from Belize

Tues 16th Feb and I drive "Kungo" over to Big Creek one more time to pick up the 'Bill of Laden' paperwork for the shipment of container. As I motored up the channel to the port I was met by the M/V Elsebeth being towed out of port by the tugboat "Miss Gayle". I even got to see the blue container on deck with all our gear inside and bound for Portsmouth UK, ETA 2nd March

Loading into the container

11th Feb and all is ready to go with the first load of boat and house gear to drive over from Placencia to Big Creek aboard "Kungo", my friend Paul's great workboat - kindly lent for the Belize extraction project! Huge thanks goes to Rudi, Bob, Bill, John and Dave for their help, friendship and handy muscles on the day.

All went like clockwork with just two trips across the lagoon needed to transport Cookie and all our house contents. The day threatened rain first thing, but the weather gods smiled and we had good dry conditions and nothing got wet - most importantly my wife Michelle's artwork!!!!!!!

Mr. Gustavo Carillo and his team at the Banana Enterprise Office in Big Creek Port were super helpful and laid the container on the ground right at the shoreline to make loading easy. The port guys all chipped in and helped get Cookie packed in safely - no shortage of hands at the ready!!

It was a great relief at 3pm to click the padlock onto the doors after customs had fixed their seal and the loading job was done. Time for beers all round!

Cookie gets dismantled in Belize

6th Feb and I arrive back in Placencia with the job of getting Cookie apart and the house packed up ready to go into a 40ft container on the 11th. No time to waste, I got straight into it and was very lucky that a cold front kept gray skies for the weekend so the Belize sun didn't fry my UK weakened and pasty skin!!!

Just like 10 years ago in St. Martin, I unbolted and un-lashed Cookie in the water and let the hulls fall over, then used short, temporary beams to lash the hulls back together for transporting across the lagoon to Big Creek Port. It all went well and at the days end, Cookie was floating - squeezed together against the dock ready to have 4 months of grime and weed scrubbed off the next day. Thanks goes to Julian MacGregor for his assistance and company during the weekend.

Family support!

The biggest supporter of all is, of course, my wife Michelle!!!! If it wasn't for her dedication to our relationship and patience for my adventuring, then I wouldn't be on course for the Jester Challenge at all. She has kept me pointed in the right direction many a time when I have had doubts about how to pull it all off. Huge love and thanks to my supportive wife Michelle!!!

Kind sponsorship donation

Today is obviously an important date in the creation of Cookie's Jester Challenge. My good friend Paul Hagopian of Boulder, CO has come aboard as part of the Cookie Challenge Team with a very generous cash donation. Paul and I go back many years and various boat delivery adventures. Paul will also be part of the team during the Jester Challenge and will be at the end of the phone to give a weather forecast when needed.
Thanks again Paul and welcome aboard!!!

Cookie is going Bananas!!

Today is a big step forward in the Project. Fyffes Bananas has come aboard as a very kind and generous sponsor in the form of providing shipment of Cookie and all her equipment in a 40ft container from Big Creek, Belize to Southampton, UK next month. This is a huge logistical step forward and I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Jeroen Herders and his team at Fyffes.

London Boatshow

Went to London........didn't get to see the Queen so settled for the Boatshow instead! Got to talk to folks at Musto, Henri Lloyd, Typhoon drysuits and got some good info on AIS systems for ship alerts. it's networking time to start pulling all the aspects of this Jester Challenge together.

It has been a cold arrival for Rory to the UK over Xmas. Snow on the ground in Devon.............first for many years!! But then - the kids have loved the new 'winter wonderland' outlook.
I have been thinking of Cookie tied up to our dock in Placencia, Belize with envy at how warm she must be!!
The next phase of the project is to return to Belize in February and pack Cookie into a container and ship her to Southampton, safe and sound for her next challenge - to take on the North Atlantic upwind in May 2010.