...before it heads out of range of on-shore GPRS coverage.
Well, I joined the gang as it hit Wivenhoe (near Colchester) and stopped for fish & chips. A bit odd really. Like a lone mongrel attempting to join a pack of feral dogs. I guess the cycling equivalent of sniffing the backside before letting me join - comparing gadgets on each bike. Adrian takes the prize on that one - GPS tracking, HD video, helmet-mounted VGA camera, solar panel on the bike to keep it all charged (not enough sun for that), alarm (as in car alarm). There's probably more I haven't spotted yet. I was enthralled to find my bike was not the only one sporting toe-clips.
Seven punctures on the trip to date, apparently. Chris Yanda takes a hit on the way to Harwich (which overall was a manageable ride & not too stressful, despite my coughing & spluttering along the way). Nigel Megitt shows me his bicycle pump, which has a pressure gauge - it's clear you would need a research background from Kingswood Warren to be able to operate it. I am afraid he's going to explode my tyre showing me how it could be inflated further.
A straggly ride to Harwich for eleven of us, with a fantastic sunset over the Essex countryside (yes, we do get them). Some have peeled off at Epping, and one will leave at Harwich to catch a train home, leaving just ten for the overnight. Poor old Rhys gets me for his cabin companion - I am praying I don't keep him up all night with my coughing and sneezing. (Actually so is he, but he's too polite to say so).
So the ferry is on the move. Time to hit send and head for the windowless cabin. I am warned that I will not mistake the wake-up call at 0500.
Oh goody.