And she’s away!

This is a BIG day for Steppin’ Out! She was gently lowered into the South China Sea at the Marlow plant and then made her way 100 miles north to the port of Xiamen China under her own power. This stretch of the South China Sea can be very treacherous at times but every Marlow built travels this stretch as a final check of its ability to handle the elements!

Once Steppin’ Out reached the port of Xiamen, she is loaded onto a barge while awaiting the transport ship that will safely carry her thousands of miles across the Pacific ocean to her final destination in the U.S.

Unfortunately, the actual load onto the ship BBC Newcastle occurred at 2 am, local time, so there were no pictures of her safely tucked into the hold for her long journey East. Stay turned for the next portion of the voyage!