The Launch and the Maiden Voyage.

Saturday 7 April 2012 was very important day for us all - for shipwright Luke and his family, for us and our family members, and for friends from near and far. It was time to launch our Freja! The last few weeks had been very busy with getting the vessel rigged, having the sails on board, stowing tools and paint away. Food, beer and wine were laid out. And people started to arrive, bringing good weather with them. Finally Freja took gracefully to the water and it seemed as if she longed to get out of the river to the sea where she belonged.

In the dark morning on the day after the launch we gathered along the quay-side to take Freja to sea. The sun came up while we motored from Gweek down the quiet Helford River. We hoisted the sails as we started to feel the swell from the ocean. She drove across the bay as if she hadn't done anything else. From the bilge we brought a bottle of champagne one of our children had given us and we toasted to fair winds and safe landfalls in our new vessel. What a maiden voyage!