Our destination was Ipswich,
in the county on Suffolk, located just north of the Thames estuary.
After leaving Heathrow, we took the train to Ipswich, where we were met
by Mike Lloyd. 
He drove us a house provided by the Willis Faber Insurers which would be
our home for the first month. Nearby, was the port of Felixstowe.
This was where Godspeed would tie up while we re-rigged her and made her
ready for sea. Two days later, Stuttgart Express arrived and Godspeed was
off-loaded.
We learned that somewhere between departure from Virginia and arrival to
the U.K., someone had broke the locks off and completely trashed the inside.
It wasn't apparent at the time what had been stolen, but it was a shock
to see the mess. Pete Meekins flew in next and we finally began our
work. In the following weeks, with the assistance of some local riggers,
we stepped the masts and set up the rigging. Sails were bent to the
yards and they were hauled into place. Next to Godspeed, on the quay
side, the container had been off-loaded. Jack and I spent a few days
coating the the cardboard boxes of food with varnish. This would
help keep the cardboard dry. Slowly, things began to take shape. 
We began loading some of the gear onboard. Charts and radio permits
had to be obtained. The folks that worked at Felixstowe were great.
Anything thing we needed, they found it for us. If we needed the
crane to lift something, it was there. We made many new friends and
we tried to do our best to show our appreciation by giving tours to the
workers and their families. We took turns keeping watch on the boat
each night. The guys helping us with the rigging and some of the
dock workers joined in on this. It was a great time during the first
month....On the 24th of March, we had our first sea trials.
We had about 14 people onboard. A tug took us out into the River
Orwell, where we set the sails and really had a nice run. We
had another sail on the 28th. This one had a few mishaps, like
loosing a cleat on the bowsprit while getting towed and breaking a belaying
pin, but it was still a great sail. We were to leave Felixstowe
in a few days, so we had a party for all of the guys at the dock that gave
us a hand. I know I don't have all of the names written down,
but I will mention those that I did... Besides Nick Corke, Ray Topple and
Andrew Clark (these fellows helped with the rigging) there was John Robinson,
Les Topple, Steve and John Hillyard, Allan the Liverpudlian, Bernie, Martin,
and Roger Bannister to name a few... |
He had invited
a lot of our friends over and it was good to see everyone....I didn't know
when I'd be back. The next day, March 9 I left Virginia Beach.
It was a little difficult saying good-bye. I drove to my parents,
Jean and Bob on Gwynns Island. They let me store my car at their
house while I was away. (Lucky them...it was a Plymouth Valiant) Then they
drove me to the Yorktown Victory Center, where I joined Jack Greer, who
with two employees from Jamestown Festival Park, would accompany us to
England. The rest of the crew members were there at Yorktown for
some last minute crew meetings we'd been having for the past year.
They would be joining us in England at various times in the next few months.
Out in the parking lot, we bade our good byes and best of lucks. I gave
my folks a hug and said I'd be seeing them in England. They would
be there for the send off. We left YVC at 3pm and arrived at BWI
around 6:30. 
This
would be my first flight and looking back, it was kind of ironic
that I'd be crossing the Atlantic twice that year, in two completely different
forms of transportation- one that would only take 8 hours and the other
which would take almost three months! We arrived in London around
9:30am on the 10th of March. It was my brother, Tony's birthday.
In the states, he was home still asleep while I was having a time explaining
to immigration why I didn't have a return ticket. I no doubt looked
suspicious, and I am sure the fellow was having a bit of fun, but how could
I explain what we were about to do on GODSPEED? Here is this American,
with a bearded face and some-what long hair, dressed in a pea coat
and jeans, carrying a duffle bag, backpack and guitar case,
with no return ticket, trying to enter England. All I could
remember was the movie "Midnight Express"....Fortunately, Jack came over
and asked what the problem was and he quickly put the problem to an end,
telling the fellow that we were guests of Prince Philip and the Royal Family.
He said a few more things that I forgot, but the guy stamped my passport
and let me through. I don't know if it was the mention of the Royal
Family, or because Jack was an imposing figure, but what ever it was, it
worked.