The Invasion Force Gets Ready

At various points in the South of England Marlins are being covertly prepared for their upcoming voyage to the shores of Denmark & Sweden. A motley collection of spares, good British Tea and copious amounts of alcohol are being gathered and final checks are taking place.

James has been in regular contact despite being under the medical cosh and is adamant that the invasion force sets sail and a herd of reindeer are being ritually slaughtered to provide sufficient steaks for the BBQ. Hopefully the Nordic Gods will be appeased by this noble sacrifice and also confer a good luck spell over not just the weather but also the captain and crew of the good ship DFDS Sirena.

Looking forward to our Nordic Safari! 

 

 

Sweden or bust 2014

This time we aim to get to the port a bit earlier and wave flags to guide the old DFDS tub in safely as nobody wants to spend another night in Colchester …………….ever by all accounts.(not that I had to snigger!)

We are also taking extra duct tape in case she whacks the quay again but we may have to get the extra strong waterproof stuff or use Sue’s supplies of tea bags to stuff any holes etc

Meanwhile preparations are apace and I’ve even given the old Berli a decent valet and checked over her vitals again. We’ve also conspired to bring a tribal collection of spares to share out the stuff we are carrying so its all coming together nicely and Keith has done a great job keeping the booking on track

James is looking forward to our impending visit despite no doubt feeling less than 100% and we are very much looking forward to meeting him too.

Talking of which :

 

   

 

 

The Invasion Force Prepares

Well its now May so only a couple of months before the final push into Sweden where we can hopefully liberate James Dresch from his  asylum and enjoy a reindeer steak or two! He tells me that if we cant find him with our sat nav a Geiger counter may do the trick!

Last Sunday the Famous 5 (it was six but it’s a long story) convened on the phone and agreed our invasion plans for July 14th

Critically we agreed we may need to up our wine provisions and other stuff was agreed like where to meet up and what else to take over. Hopefully El Capitaine for this voyage wont be a candidate for Spec Savers!

There’s  a tremendous sense of deja vous here after last years abortive trip and it’s wonderful that James has offered once again to host us despite having to go through an intensive IVA test and we are very grateful to James for his continued support and wish him well.

The Berlinetta is running well but would be good to squeeze a few more MPG out of her with a long run coming up but I’m glad I got the charging issue addressed and my head lamps upgraded so at least I can now cope with the dark which may be handy in Sweden as you never know what is around the corner! 

 

  

Yes this moose had been feasting on fermenting apples and got so drunk he got stuck in a tree but apart from a bad hangover was fine after being freed. Now that would have been a self marinating reindeer steak surely?  

 

 

The Pilgrimage to the Land of Abba part 2

Well its now March and a bit of long overdue sun has been warming us thank goodness after what seems like months of rain and flooding.

The official report recently came out with regard to El Capitaine’s ramming of the harbour wall and Keith had a great personal interpretation of it with talk of ill judged hand brake turns and leaving the engine on full throttle.

There seems to be the usual twaddle in the report about poor communication, stuff being missed and warning lights being too dim etc

No mention of any lap dancers on the bridge or the English Collective of Prostitutes (Harwich chapter) waving them in as they did a sail past tho.

My Berli has been on the road throughout but at times was driving like a paddle steamer through some of the larger puddles

I haven’t been idle and she now has upgraded headlamps, a re-sited coil (out of the splash zone) and a higher output alternator and best of all a high torque starter motor. She now kicks over like a mule on speed and usually a first time starter too. OK it cost around £150 but uses less juice too so a great mod.

Also the battery flatting out was traced eventually to a poor wiring connection and she no longer loses charge.

Well another five months before we go and here’s wishing James all the best over the next few months while he undergoes a full service himself.

(Just one of the superb James Dresch collection)

Winter on the Beach!

Outside the Box Tree

Sweden or Bust 2014 – July 14th – 22nd

Yes  the tour is back on thanks to the dogged persistence of Keith and our generous host James! The disappointment of 2013 is all history now as planning in earnest now begins for the 2014 tour and it will feel like Groundhog Day I’m sure!

So much groundwork was done for last years trip it’s mostly a case of refreshing things like breakdown insurance and making sure that the car is in good fettle for the trip so plenty of time for snagging etc

James had also gone to tremendous lengths to accommodate us last year so its very much a point of honour that we are having another go at making this trip finally happen and once again our sincere thanks to James the Judge Dresch.