It’s been a while, and you are probably wondering, ‘what are the plans for Gratis in 2019’?

The simple answer is, we’re really not sure.

Bob and I are still hemming and hawing……..

Do we complete our travels in Belgium, or do we take the bull by the horns, return to Port Napoleon, pick up the mast, and spend a few years in the Med before heading north once more to complete the canal journey.

‘Pick up the mast?’ you say. ‘But that is on its way!

Well, there was a major hiccup and no it’s not.

The carrier didn’t take note of the details Bob provided, so he arrived at Port Napoleon with a truck that wasn’t capable of handling the weight and size of the rig. The long and the short of it is, the mast is still in Port Napoleon.

A second mast carrier requires that we take the rig apart and package it well. Only then will it be ready for transport. He has provided a company that does that type of preparation, but there will be a further cost involved.

Sounding too convoluted by now? Well, we think so, too: hence our dilemma……..

At the moment, to assist in our decision making, I am in the process of calculating numbers for various routes, whilst Bob works on the transporting issue.