Ahoy Hartlepool. Or a salty trip out...

I got the opportunity to tag along with Tracy and Bill Muir to Hartlepool Marina to do a bit of sailing and in true marina tradition started the day with a good breakfast.

I know it looks a lot but all the sailors on the marina told me that I needed all my energy for the day ahead so a good breakfast was essential.  With a pot of tea and a few slices of toast it all went down quite nicely.

On the way back to the boat there was time for a spot of sightseeing and a photo opportunity with a statue commemorating the monkey that was famously executed during the Napoleonic Wars, because the locals thought it was a Frenchman.   In the background you can see the masts of the HMS Trincomalee, the oldest British warship afloat.

Sailing is hard work, you take your mind off what you are doing for one minute and look at the mess you can get into...

This wasn’t what I had in mind, I thought marina, yachts and luxury, not climbing rigging.

Oh Wait Land ahoy!