It’s far too early in the morning to be at Heathrow.

I fly to Gibraltar today. Things I’m currently anxious about include:

  • Did I bring enough stuff? Did I bring too much? Is it the right stuff to bring? Allabroad provided a detailed kit list, and I have tips from a family member’s previous sailing excursions, but historically I’ve been really good at packing a lot of the wrong things, because “I doubt I’ll need that” and “Surely this will come in handy”
  • What are the other people on the course going to be like? There’s not a lot of space on a yacht so I’ll be in a confined space with them for a long time. I’m feeling optimistic on this one, based on the idea that anyone who signs up for a 4-month long sailing course in the middle of winter will at least have a sense of adventure, and anyone who aspires to leading a crew is unlikely to be a complete asshole.
  • Where am I going to sleep? I’ve seen the layout of the Jeanneau 389 and there are only 3 cabins. There could be up to 4 students and a skipper on board, so how’s that going to work?

And of course…

  • I’m going to be to away from Zina for months. I doubt we’ve been apart for more than 2 weeks since we married. That didn’t really register when I booked the course, and now it seems so obviously painful that I can’t believe it’s taken this long to sink in.

Still, Zina is nothing if not supportive and encouraging. I have a phone with data roaming so she’s only a call away. And Allabroad have been running these courses for decades, so I’m pretty sure they know how to arrange the bunks. And I can fix the kit list with a bin and a credit card if I have to.

Time to get my adventure hat on.