Back aboard in Cherbourg 6 April 2005

With no small degree of trepidation we finally moved back aboard Barrique. Our car is not what you would call small, an 8-seater Toyota Previa, but it was full to the brim, and our biggest nightmare was a customs inspection on boarding the ferry at Portsmouth!

After an early start we arrived in time for the 0800 sailing from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and the customs officials flagged us over for an inspection before boarding. Thankfully they wished only to see the engine compartment and our possessions remained crushed inside the car.

By midday we were enjoying our first cup of tea aboard Barrique, it would take a further week before the car was completely unloaded into the boat.

The biggest question was how well Poppy would take to moving aboard again after a year spent land-lubbing. We need not have worried, both Poppy and Chiara were very happy to be afloat.

After a week back aboard Poppy and Chris set off back to England with the car, to leave it with Chris’ parents to sell. It was Poppy’s first night away from Mum, but she had a great time. The car was advertised in AutoTrader and went to the first person to see her, who paid the asking price – Chris’ parents negotiating skills to thank there.

We have now been in Cherbourg for two and a half weeks and our job list is slowly shrinking, we hope to be shipshape by the end of April and will start heading south. The most important new addition to the boat has been a washing machine – with two small children aboard this is a necessity rather than a luxury.

We have found a park with a playground nearby, which also boasts a small museum and a tropical greenhouse that we visit almost daily. Poppy seems completely unflustered that the children she plays with talk a different language.