Happy Anniversary!

It’s blowing a gale, as usual. The sky alters between glorious blue and dark gray. We have had rain, sun and high winds on a daily basis for over a week now. It seems almost impossible to think that exactly one year ago today we woke before the sun, made coffee, slipped our life jackets on and slipped out of Hull Marina - and never came back.

It had been a long three weeks waiting for the right weather window and even though we had checked, checked and checked again we still ventured out with trepidation. “We can always come back in if it’s not good on the river” we told ourselves. We knew however that once we had made the commitment beyond Spurn Point there was little in the way of a safe harbour before Wells Next To The Sea, our first chosen Port of call. The initial sadness of leaving Hull behind was soon overshadowed by the fear of the unknown. We knew little of how Elephant Daze would cope in the varying different sea states and with the knowledge that this first leg of the trip would take around eight hours, we really were reliant on an accurate forecast and calm seas. We never gave much thought to the effect other vessels might have her. We were very quickly awakened to the reality that other boats could be as much of a problem as the sea state. An overtaking manoeuvre by a ship in a hurry before we even reached Spurn Point brought home to us just how small and vulnerable we were in this busy shipping lane. Glasses were broken, coffee pots lost and for the first time - but not the last - the fridge tried to spill its contents on the floor. So began the first of many rituals, moving things to safe places, namely the champagne collection that we had acquired, presents from former colleagues and friends. Those bottles lucky enough to survive each leg of the journey spent travelling time wrapped up in our bed.

It was a frightening moment when that ship passed us. I remember seeing the wave heading for us. It looked to be towering over us, I really thought it would break over us and turn us over. Instead it picked us up then let us down, over and over again until eventually calm was restored and we headed out sea. The voice in my head was telling me to turn around, go back, ditch liggings not so bad really... From that moment on I always kept a good watch out for vessels approaching from behind. I can only imagine that the ship was sent to warn us, to remind us that we are not really in charge when we’re out there and that you can never rest on your laurels. Anything can happen.

Once we had passed Spurn Point everything changed again. Very quickly we were alone, apart from the seals that waved at us as they played together. The sea was so calm, much calmer than the Humber and it was beautiful. Looking back, the mouth of the Humber soon became a dot on the horizon, before us was nothing but sea. I remember the point at which we noted that you could look North, East, South or West and see nothing but water. No boats, no land just water. I also remember Martyn deciding he really needed the loo and handing me the wheel. A few minutes later he returned to find I had been taking us round and round in circles. I don’t know how I did it, I just couldn’t keep a straight line. I giggled nervously and tried to look cute hoping that my stupidity wouldn’t increase his stress levels any further. Once he got us back on track I was put on ‘crab pot watch’ duty. He saw the funny side a couple of days later.

We arrived at Wells around 2pm just the right time for the tide and after an interesting approach we pulled in and tied up. The first leg of the adventure was over. Elephant Daze had done us proud. We sat and drank our first bottle of champagne, glad that it too had survived and we toasted ourselves - all three of us. Now all we needed was that sea state to take us all the way round the coast, if only. I have never to this day seen a sea like that one. I sometimes wonder if it was all a dream, if it actually happened or if we were sucked up by an alien space ship and dropped back down in Wells.

If we had stuck to our original plan of action today we would probably be sat in Hull waiting for that weather window. Who knows if it would ever come. We were meant to leave when we did that is one thing I am certain of. Many things led up to us making the decision to begin our adventure last year and of all the decisions we made, to leave on the 22nd June 2010 must have been the right one. It was magical. I have a photograph of us leaving Spurn Point that day. It took me a while to spot it but if you look very carefully you can just make out a small cloud that takes on the figure of an angel. Whether you believe in them or not I like to believe that someone was looking after us that day and saw us safely back into Port.

Tonight we will not be on the beach with a barbeque drinking champagne. We will be on our lovely boat probably with the heating on, eating spag boll and drinking a cheap bottle of fizz. We will however toast our adventure and toast ourselves - all three of us.