Spit and polish
The next two days will be busy ones for the crew of Oceans of Hope as they prepare for their arrival in Portsmouth on Thursday afternoon and the four-day stopover in the historic English city which is the birthplace of Charles Dickens and has been home to the Royal Navy since the 16th Century.
The 20-metre yacht is due to arrive at Gunwharf Quays at 3pm.
During the stopover people with multiple sclerosis are being invited to take part in a day of sailing on Friday 4 July when we will be running taster sails on the Thames sailing barge Alice.
Each complimentary taster sail will be approximately two hours starting at 10am and 2pm. Waterproofs, safety equipment and lunch will be provided for all participants between 12.30pm and 1.30pm. There are no charges to participate.
Guided tours of Oceans of Hope will also be available before or after your taster sail between 12pm and 2pm.
Places are limited to 12 per session and will be awarded on a first come basis. Don’t miss out on your chance to come sailing; to secure your place email corinne.lockwood@seagrassuk.com.
In the meantime Oceans of Hope is being prepared for the rigorous conditions of the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean with a health-check at a boat yard in Gosport where, this afternoon, she was hauled out of the water to check all is in order below the waterline.
Tomorrow’s jobs list – and anyone with any kind of boat will tell you there is ALWAYS a seemingly never-ending list of jobs – includes the application of plenty of spit and polish to get Oceans of Hope ship shape and shining for her grand arrival in Portsmouth on Thursday.