Plans Part V - some sailing perhaps?

Well, if not some sailing, at least some sitting in port necking an ale and waiting for better weather!

From experience over the last two years, we've come to the conclusion that the more longer trips we can fit in the better. The short weekends are generally just too short on time, and energy, to go anywhere or do anything much (although they are still very pleasant "floating cottage" breaks offering a change of scenery and a decent pub meal). So with that in mind, let outline our plans for the coming year ...

We'll be starting the year with a maintenance week (or possible two long weekends) in March. Annoyingly, the most convenient week for us ends on the Easter weekend which is not ideal. That might mean splitting it into two long weekends instead.

Our major ambitious cruise this year will be the Spring Cruise in, well, the Spring! (Actually, the last two weeks of May). Having failed to get to Scarborough in 2012, for 2013 we plan to fail to get to Chichester! Knowing our luck, we'll get stuck for a week in Ramsgate. I suppose it'll make a difference from Lowestoft! That'll be a cruise for the Skipper, Mate Rik and AB Mark (if he remembers to book the time off work this year!)

Jane and I will have a week to ten days on board in August (exactly how long we get depends on whether I can fiddle some shifts around with my colleagues at work) and we'll probably aim to explore the Blackwater Estuary a bit more thoroughly. Lots of nice places we haven't been yet. In fact, we've only been to Bradwell (twice) and Brightlingsea!

Then in the Autumn, Bosun Glen and I will have a very long weekend (almost a week really) and we plan to head up the London River and spend a day at Greenwich. An alternative destination would be Chatham, although we've been round the dockyards we didn't get to see the ropewalk which I'd like to visit.

In between there'll be the usual litany of weekends scattered about here and there although late spring / early summer is significantly impacted (assuming we get the gig) by our being back in the frame to provide the ents technical support at the revived IWA National Festival