We're not sailing round the world!

It's been interesting seeing people's reactions when we say we're leaving our jobs to go off sailing.   

My preferred answer to the inevitable next question, "where?", is very simple:  we're going to head south and see how we get on. 

Although that has to be the way to approach the whole venture, the answer seems to satisfy no-one.  "Surely you must have some kind of a plan?" they ask, reasonably enough.

Well, the rough plan (and it is sensible to have no other kind) is to get across Biscay and explore northwest Spain, before heading down the coast of Portugal.  At that stage, if we're feeling game, we turn right into the broad Atlantic and onto the Canaries.  If we get to the Canaries, the Caribbean may well beckon (and I'm not going to pretend that I'm not very keen on the idea).  But we may decide to turn left into the Med, or possibly leave the boat somewhere safe for the winter, returning in the Spring.  

Or something else.  We don't know yet.  Hopefully we'll see at least some sun, at some stage - a nostalgic, bittersweet memory at the moment... 

If it goes well, and we're enjoying it, we might be away for about a year.  But it could be less.  It depends.  Is that enough caveats?

Reactions fall broadly into two camps: the 'go for it, can we come?' group, and the 'I hope you've made a will' group.  Guess which we prefer?   (For accuracy's sake, I should mention that only one person, so far, has actually mentioned wills.  Everyone has been polite enough not to openly suggest insanity, even if obviously tempted to).  

It's heartening, though, that it's usually the people who understand sailing who are most enthusiastic, and it's those who don't who think we're mad.  Although Limbo is smaller than the average cruising boat, what we're hoping to do isn't at all unusual. 

So - we'll see how we get on!