Our ship has come in (at last)

At 10.00 this morning we cycled on borrowed bikes from our lovely B&B down to the harbour, just as the Damgracht was approaching her berth.

We have been told that Maunie will be the first yacht (of 12, the biggest being 70ft in length) to be loaded and that she'll be lashed down right at the bow, pointing across the ship. At first that worried us but, having seen the deck layout, we realise that she should be pretty sheltered from wind and waves behind the high fo'c'sle. The fo'c'sle is the high structure at the bow, for those not familiar with ship architecture - the word is an abbreviation of forecastle.  In medieval shipbuilding, a ship of war was usually equipped with a tall, multi-deck castle-like structure in the bow of the ship. It served as a platform for archers to shoot down on enemy ships, or as a defensive stronghold if the ship were boarded. Feel free to drop this fascinating fact into conversation.

Meanwhile, Maunie is ready to go, with everything lashed down and sails and boom removed for the duration and stowed on the cabin floor.

So early tomorrow morning we just have to climb aboard and motor out of the marina for perhaps half a mile before going alongside the ship... Photos will follow!