Thank You ...
We have received lots of help so far with all our preparations, all of which is very much appreciated:
Lydia (Jonny's Mum) - Lydia has been a superstar, helping us to recover all the saloon cushions (which took a long time!) and many other jobs including making curtains, sheets, winch covers, rope bags and feeding us when working on the boat in Fleetwood. Also, some 'prior experience' of cruising led to a very useful selection of xmas presents!
Neil (Jonny's Dad) - Neil has helped with engine servicing, re-wiring of batteries and other electrics, and helped arrange engineers and steel fabricators in Fleetwood whilst we've been up in Newcastle.
Jane (Kate's Mum) - Jane has ensured that pilot books and reference books have been in xmas and birthday lists, along with numerous other useful presents. She also has a Newtsville box that she is filling for us with food and provisions!
Alan (Kate's Dad) - Alan has been great at helping with our woodwork jobs to date, including making our new flag staff fit correctly and repairing the lee board in the pilot berth. Also, words cannot describe how grateful we are to Alan for spending a very very long day (mostly in the rain) helping us fit the Hydrovane, and also his time in fitting the new saloon shelves (sounds easy, but boats aren't square or level!).
Grandparents (Jonny's) - Some very generous Christmas and Birthday presents have allowed us to buy lots of essentials including a new anchor.
Joan & David Garlick (Kate's God Parents) - A very generous donation allowed us to buy our solar panel.
John Rodriguez - Lots of time and effort spent by John produced Newtsville from the minefield of classified ad's in the first place. He also helped us source the SSB radio and has been an invaluable pool of knowledge from someone who has 'been there, done that' (and still doing!)
Jo & Kev - Some cruising friends we met recently who are about to set off on a similarly crazy adventure (website). Lots of advice has been shared, meals had discussing the finer points of EPIRB's and cruising routes, charts have been donated, advice has been given, and recently (just a week before Kev leaves to commision their own boat) a whole weekend of help on our boat while she was out the water. Thanks!
Storrar Marine - Rob and Andy are the local chandlers in Newcastle. Accommodating our requests and providing honest and objective advice on equipment choice and specification has been superb. They really have pulled out all the stops ordering special items in and sourcing parts at short notice. Thanks very much guys - website
Gregg at www.boatfendersdirect.com - Gregg got in touch through the website and wanted to support our trip - so we are now decorated with two new fenders - a great help which should help keep Newt in tip top condition in foreign ports with rough walls! Thanks very much.
The Yacht Shop - Neil has been a great help with bits and pieces that we've needed over the last 18 months. There is always a plentiful supply of screws, bolts and other necessities that we've found to be short of half way through a job!
Paul (Kate’s brother) and Mel (his girlfriend): Big thanks to Paul and Mel who were there on Saga Boy Too to meet us when we arrived in
Andy, Caroline and Toby Topham: Thanks to Andy, Caroline and Toby for looking after us in Rodney Bay, St Lucia. They invited us for dinner, took us on tours of the island, took us shopping, let us use their washing machine, helped us find a new dinghy and helped fix our outboard. It was great to know someone with some local knowledge to help us enjoy our visit to
