Our trip really started on Sunday night : because so many of the participants were travelling from so far away, Paul said it would be OK if they wanted to travel up on the day before we sailed and could stay overnight on Audrey. Since only two of us were actually local, in the end we ALL boarded a night early. Ally was later than scheduled, having spent most of the day in Casualty with her son, but the rest of us went across the road to the Ask restaurant for a meal and Ally joined us a little later. Then it was back to the boat for an early night ready for an early morning.

We started our voyage as we meant to go on - with a full English breakfast! Then we had a bit of last-minute shopping to do : Lucy dashed across to Princes Quay shopping centre and Kath and I hit the Humber Street fruit market as I'd forgotten to get Lucy's bananas. Only you can't buy just a couple of bunches from a wholesale market..... !

Then it was everyone out on deck for our passage through the lock gates and out onto the Humber. We had a brief stop at the old pier steps, for some publicity photos which didn't involve us so we were sent out of sight down below. We heard the thud of feet jumping aboard followed immediately by Paul's roar "Did I ASK you to come aboard?" and the offenders sent back ashore again. Eventually everything on deck was sorted to his satisfaction and Paul came down to give us the regulation safety talk. The formalities over, we were soon on our way again, minus our temporary passengers.

Kath was quick to take the wheel, if only to prove that she could, followed by Shirley and Lucy, and Betty settled in on the engine-room hatch with her video camera to record the proceedings for posterity. The Humber looks very different from on the river, and I happily pointed out the north bank landmarks as we passed along out to the open sea.

Although the weather was fine and the sun came out as the morning progressed. the wind was in completely the wrong direction so we had to motor south along the coast of Lincolnshire towards our destination, an overnight anchorage in Brancaster Bay on the north Norfolk coast.

The ride wasn't TOO bumpy, and fortified with anti-seasickness pills and travel bands we managed the trip without anyone getting seasick, although Betty wasn't too well. The sun going down over the Norfolk coast was spectacular, the first of several memorable sunsets, and we eventually reached the shelter of the shallow bay off Brancaster Staithe and dropped anchor for the night.

Once everything on deck was sorted out we settled down to our first evening meal on board (having had a buffet lunch) - shepherd's pie and all the trimmings, followed by Doreen's excellent Tiramisu!