Day 1: I set off to go sailing.

The sea looks good and I am not intending to use the services of one of these excellent boats.

I may be off line and off email for a few days - depending where I go and whether I can get an internet connection. I am not planning to go far - down the river, out onto the sea and a short passage to the Walton Backwaters; maybe into Shotley marina and up the river Stour - maybe not. The weather looks a bit dodgy - everything from sunshine to quite a lot of wind. I don't need to be back for over a week - - .

I have cleared the worse mess and put together a large amount of gear to go aboard this morning and catch the tide downstream after lunch. I feel very nervous - have not done this sort of thing for a year and have hardly been out this season apart from in the streaker.