It’s the FINAL COUNTDOWN!
It’s been a while since we have added a blog, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy! Honestly, it’s been a whirlwind of a year so far and only gets crazier as we pass the ‘3 Months To Go’ mark!
The final bank holiday weekend of August saw us complete our final ‘on the water’ training with Cariad. Spending 68 continuous hours on our boat was our second longest session yet and full of learning as always.
Launching from Goodwick we spent our days practicing different shift patterns, using essential safety equipment on board, eating dehydrated meals to ensure we were happy with our choices for the Atlantic and talking about everything still to do before we depart the UK at the end of November. The biggest learning came from running our desalinator for the first time! Having completed our Water Maker training at the end of July, we were then confident in it’s use. It’s a crucial bit of kit for our crossing but takes a bit of getting your head around in terms of the number of valves, pipes and sequences to get this working effectively!
So, in true MYM fashion we learnt by trial and error, starting the desalinator up initially to find no pressure and quickly realising a rookie error in terms of the saltwater intake tank and the small issue of removing a bung! The system now had to be purged of air before trying again… thank goodness for YouTube!! Second time lucky…. She ran beautifully, filling us with the confidence that we will be able to both make fresh water on our crossing and fix any issues using only the small tool kit we carry on board and our increasingly good problem-solving skills!
Getting off the water for the final time in Wales was emotional, but another major milestone in our journey. Between now and the end of November we continue working hard to complete planning, packing, training and fundraising for our fantastic charities. Thank you as always to everyone who has and continues to support us as we get ever closer to this huge challenge and the adventure of a lifetime!
Denise. Heledd, Helen and Liz xxxx
