I first saw Excelsior in the picturesque town of Wijk bij Duurstede on the flooded river Lek in the centre of Holland. After I had agreed with the broker to buy her she was taken to a shipyard in Nieuwegein for some essential repairs before her trip over to the UK. When the work had been completed it was agreed that the previous owner would deliver her, accompanied by myself to the coast. This part of the journey took 14 hours along the Merwedekanaal, Hollans diep and Haringvliet to Stellendam, a small fishing port on the coast. There we waited for a week for the good weather that would see us over the channel. Stellendam proved to be an ideal place to lay up as much for the friendliness of the locals in their pristine boats as for the chandlers and boat builders for their help with making further preparations for the crossing. We set out on a glass smooth sea at 6pm to avoid as much Hoek traffic as possible for the 24 hour journey to Gravesend, the overnight section made magical with phosphorescent algae lighting up our bows. However this did not last, off Margate the following day the sea had risen to a 1m wave height and we had wind and tide against us forcing us to put into Queenborough before running out of fuel. The rest of the trip passed uneventfully and we sailed the last leg to Gravesend where we are now moored in the Basin.