Puffins, Helicopters and Scotland

Monday May 27- Departed Lowestoft about 10:30 a.m., as the tide was still running S. Still getting gusts in the 20s so King left the reef in that we had neglected to take out from our run up from Ipswich.  Within an hour, we were flying north up the coast at 10 to 11 K. Unfortunately, the seas were a bit lumpy from the change in wind direction so sea sickness sent me horizontal fairly quickly. We decided to start our watch hours immediately so we could get as much rest as possible since we were doing an overnight run.  That helped but 2:00 a.m. is still a rude time to be dragged out of bed. The wind only lasted till dusk, which is about 9:30 p.m. these days.  We motored the rest of the way.  No major obstacles but it was a little exciting when I came on duty in the wee hours of the morning and found us surrounded by lights and a gazillion ships indicated on the chart plotter; all apparently at anchor.  King sez "Nothing to worry about.  Just thread your way between those two ships."  I whined till he agreed to at least stay till I was semi awake and truly convinced that all those ships were sitting still. It was sooooo cold.

Whitby Abby, aka Dracula's Castle

We passed by Whitby around 1:00 p.m. the following day.  The Whitby Abby, also known as Dracula's Castle makes Whitby easy  to recognize from the water.  The ruins stand high on the cliffs overlooking the sea and the town.  Even from a distance it looks a bit spooky. The winds were beginning to swing around but we decided we had time to make the additional 30 miles to Hartlepool.   

Tuedsay May 28- We are safely tucked into Hartlepool Marina.  The lock entrance was a bit narrow and gave us only a meter to spare.   We entered with one of the power cats that service the wind generators. Its back wash made us have visions of bouncing off the walls like a pin ball machine.  With audience, of course.  The wind has decided to rage again so after laundry and a little work on a pesky problem with the starboard engine cutting out, we decided a road trip was in the cards.  I know, I know.  Blessed be the unsuspecting British driver.  Enterprise picks you up so they were the winner of our hard earned retirement funds.  The plan was to drive to York where we would spend the day.   We would then return home and head out the following day to visit with friends, Gus and Helen on Wings in Whitby and look around for Count Dracula while we were in the neighbourhood. All good thoughts but a small weather window appeared to be opening on Friday so our road trip was reduced to one day.  As is our typical fashion, we decided to cram the 2 day itinerary into one.  The drive to York was uneventful. I only screamed in terror once.  King does not always wait his turn to enter the roundabouts....but enough said about that.  The medieval stained glass in the York Minster was breath taking and well worth the trip.

Even the ceilings in the York Minster had stained glass

We also visited the Clifford's Tower, a fortress mound originally built by William the Conqueror and added on to by one of the Henrys. The top of the tower provides a good view of York.  After a quick ice cream cone we were off to Whitby.  I was hoping to arrive in time for a quick glance at Dracula's haunt but it was not to be. First there was the fog.  At one point, King remarked that he bet the countryside was extremely beautiful if you could see it.  I was disappointed at missing Dracula's haunt but just as well in the fog......Who knows!  Had a good time catching up with the crew of Wings and King got to eat Fish and Chips in the city known for its offering of the delicacy. Sorry Whitby, Baltimore Ireland remains his favourite.  I'm thinking it may have to do with being stuck at sea for 12 days prior to the tasting event.....not sure what that says for my cooking.  The fog continued all the way home and to add to the excitement, the GPS decided to become extremely annoying by repeating directions over and over and then after 4 or 5 repeats it changed its mind and gave out different directions. We circled a number of the roundabouts 3 times till it finally threw us out on the correct highway.  At one point it decided there was a bridge that didn't exist and just plain refused to head toward Hartlepool. 

Royal Northumberland Yacht Club

Friday May 31 - Blythe - little wind, so another day of motor cruising.   All of the cruising books say Blythe is not much of a town but you need to stop for the yacht club.  As we came around the harbour you could see folks beginning to gather at the hammerhead. We had 6 people waiting to take our lines and welcome us to the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club. We were informed the club was sponsoring a 36 hour race starting tonight so a special dinner was being served in the yacht club and we were invited to join in. Which of course we did.  Very cool.  The yacht club is in an old ship tied to the docks. Showers are located on the top deck and the bar (in the bow) and a separate dining room (in the stern) is below decks.

Saturday June 1 - another day of  motor sailing, destination Eyemouth, our first Scottish landing. I was excited because we would be passing the Farne Islands which is a large bird sanctuary and home of over 30,000 Puffins on last count!
They were everywhere, just floating in the water as we sailed past. In spite of rushing from one side of the boat to the other in hopes of catching a few good pics, the little things appear to be quite camera shy and the zoom on my camera a bit wimpy.  You will just have to take my word for it.

Preparing to come aboard

Once past the Farne Island we settled in for a quiet cruise up the coast but that was not to be.  The Royal Air Force was practicing helicopter maneuvers and apparently the deck of Ostinato looked like the perfect spot to practice putting a man aboard.  They flew up and motioned for us to talk on the radio.  Mr. Excitement, King, chatted with the pilot and invited them to "come on down".  The helicopter hovered off the port side, matching our speed, for what seemed an eternity...probably 15 minutes... as we continued to motor sail up the coast.  Two guys, all suited up, sat on the side with legs dangling over the edge.  We waited. Finally, they began their decent and swooped in closer. Just as they got directly over us, cushions began to fly about, my hat was ripped off my head and one of the side curtains began to flap furiously about.  The noise was deafening.  Goodness knows what the commotion looked like from above cause after only a few seconds of the chaos, they rapidly pulled back.   The pilot radioed to tell us they were concerned their down draft might cause damage so they had decided to abort.  Before signing off, they assured us they could land someone on our decks should there ever be the need.  Everyone waved goodbye and off they flew. Could that of been Prince William piloting that helicopter?  I like to think so.

The line on the left is our man overboard pole...not a line

Eyemouth Harbour entrance "the canyon"

The entrance to Eyemouth is a small hole in the wall the locals call the canyon.  The Harbour Master met us standing on the cliffs to advise that our tie up was no longer available.
King thinks he took one look at us and decided the wide girl would block the channel. Not to worry, he would put us on the Quay. The tide was out so that meant climbing up a 15 foot metal ladder to tie up. Another fun first.  We were not finished with the tie up when a man stopped by and advised that we were flying the wrong courtesy flag....."You best be getting that down and the Scottish flag up." New acquaintances on Blue Moon confirmed that although we were indeed in the UK, the Scots still took their flag very seriously.  They were also kind enough to give us theirs since they were moving south to England in the morning.  I quickly removed the offending Union Jack and replaced it with our new Scottish flag.  

Sunday, June 2- Sleep!  Good grief, who decided to get up at 4:00 a.m.?  It is now starting to be light at 3:30 so I guess it could of been worse.....It can always be worse.  From Eyemouth we sailed across the Firth of Fourth, and then up the coast from Fife Ness to Peterhead.  The jump is about 99 miles so we anticipated a very long day.  The hope was to get in before dusk, around 9:30ish.    A bit of wind during the morning from the SW so we had a nice morning sail for about 2 hours until the dinghy attempted another great escape.  Same problem we had off Gosport but it was the forward set of wire connections that failed this time.  Don't even go there.  King played gymnast and attempted to repair while we were still moving.  That wasn't pretty so we finally hove too and he was able to climb in to replace the broken lifting wires that attach the dinghy to Ostinato.  The excitement for the day.  When over, the toll was two lost dinghy paddles and the new dinghy engine battery is toast.  King is still trying to  resuscitate it. Sorry to say their are no photos of the incident.

A tight squeeze in Peterhead docks

Even with the dingy theatrics and the port engine deciding it was its turn for some attention, we arrived in Peterhead at 8:00 p.m.  All of the hammerhead spaces had been taken so we squeezed into one of the finger piers. You could barely get fenders on both sides of the poor girl.  The next morning the Harbour Master was quite amazed King had been able to fit her in.

Monday, June 3 - The winds continue to be light and favourable out of the west. Not enough to sail properly but on the positive side, not enough to stop you from going.  High tide was at 9:30 so we got to sleep in a bit.

Ostinato was untied and at the fuel dock by 9:00, then quickly on our way.  The barometer is at 1027, the highest I have seen it for forever.  Seas are smooth and the engine is purring away thanks to a quick fuel filter change King completed yesterday on the port engine.  We turned the corner at Kinnaird Head into the Moray of Firth and headed toward our next destination, Lossiemouth.  The wind, what there was of it, moved to our nose.  The water, smooth as glass.  In the distance you can already begin to see the change from a flat coastal landscape to rocky cliffs with luscious green fields on top.  The water is crystal clear.  Quite a change from the muddy waters in the south.  Still seeing an occasional Puffin as we float by.  What I wouldn't give for a telephoto lens.  The big news today...I am not wearing a coat.  Long johns, however, continue to be part of the wardrobe.  Beautiful day to be on the water.

Tuesday, June 4 -  We have about 40 miles to go today to reach Inverness, our last jump before we enter the Canal. A gang of white mouthed dolphins escorted us out the channel.  No wind again today so while the main is up, the engines are growling along.  The high pressure system continues to sit over the UK bringing warmer weather (60s).  I don't want to get my hopes up but we might actually have a summer this year.

Arrived at 4:00.  Dolphins led us into the first lock. We had decided to go directly to the marina located in the canal instead of Inverness.   All went beautifully. I had to throw the line up 30 feet to the Harbour Master and he was able to catch it on the first throw.  Good show! He lowered the stern line to me and we were set.  I could here the champagne popping.....all good till King put it in gear to move out to the next lock .....nothing happened.  Holy Cow.  After a dive in frigid water, King confirmed that somewhere today we lost the starboard prop.  We tugged Ostinato to a small dock half way between the two locks where we are now spending the night.  The champagne celebration will have to wait.  Seems more like a vodka night.  To be continued.........

First lock tie up

While King thought we still had a prop.

First lock at Caledonian Canal

Clifford's Tower - York

stained glass in the Minster

York Minster

Should of gone to London



Visitors dock at Lowestoft Cruising Club

May 12 - Nice sail up to Lowestoft but wicked cold!   We departed with a reefed main due to forecasted high gusts.  The canvas enclosures are a blessing.  The tide finally changed about halfway and we went from crawling at 4 knots to 8-9 knots....occasionally 10...with our reefed main!  Arrived just time for the 6:00 p.m bridge opening. The Commodore, along with the Dock Master of the Lowestoft Cruising Club, were waiting at the dock to take our lines.  Remarkable on its own but more so when you consider it was raining. We are enjoying our visits with small yacht clubs.  They remind us of ours, Appalachee Bay Yacht Club, at home.  With that on my mind, I want to say hello to Lorna Tweedie, one of ABYC past commodores.  King and I both send wishes for a speedy recovery. 



The lift is sitting at the end of the rainbow! A message?

As luck would have it, the place we had considered lifting out is located directly across the river from our berth.  The weather is the pits with no let up in sight until next week so King's brain went into overdrive.....What to do with our time?  My thoughts were running along hopping a train back to London, maybe dinner and a show.  King, however, had other ideas, like painting the bottom.  Did I mention it was raining and cold?  We located a decent hotel within walking distance of the Cruising Club and the dock master had agreed to let us use their dinghy dock to tie up at night.  All set for the haul out today but the winds are blowing a houlie at 45-50k!  Should of gone to London.....


May 16 - Lift off was scheduled for 4:00 today.  To put it mildly, I was a bit nervous about this haul out.  We realized way too late the forward bar on the lift does not move so King had to position our head sail to within inches of it for the straps to get even a minimum grip forward on the pontoons.  King did a remarkable job guiding her in.  The crew had studied drawings of Ostinato's underneath layout prior to our arrival so they were well prepared.  With all that said, I don't think I breathed from the time the straps went under the keel until she was settled down on the hard.

Holding on by a wing and a prayer!



The jobs list was short.  Pressure wash, sand and paint the bottom, raise the water line, change the zincs on the prop, and replace the air intake for the diesel heaters with ones that we had purchased at the Southampton Boat Show last summer.  As a result of all this fun activity, I am now sporting navy blue fingernails which as you might guess is the color of our new bottom paint.  The good news is that we found a disaster waiting to happen with a bad rubber bushing on the starboard prop and got a definitive YES on the "will the boat stand evenly on its keels?" question.  This means no more diving to change the zincs if we can find a nice sandy beach to dry out on.  Thankfully our stay at the Winelodge was brief.  Everything that was said in the on-line reviews was true, including that the hall lights, which are motion activated, do not seem to recognize the presence of short people so unless King was with me I ran through pitch dark hallways to reach the room.  In four days, our list was completed and we were gently splashed back in the water. Many thanks to Leon Smythe who provided everything from tips on getting the water line straight to a cuppa tea and to the fabulous lift operator and his crew from Eastern Marine Charters.

Remains of the ship that guarded
 the river's entrance during WW2

May 21 - No respite in the weather.  The wind continues to howl out of the North.  Latest forecasts indicate  it may be another week before we see the return of southerly winds.  Its looking a bit tight for making the Caladonian Canal before June 8.  We decided to wait out our time back at the Lowestoft Cruising Club for a few more days so we could take advantage of 7 days for 5 slip rental and do a little sight seeing around Oulton Broad.  The area, including a lake and marsh, is believed to be man made as a result of medieval peat cutting used for fuel.  hmmmm.




May 23- If one is to believe the forecast, it appears that we will finally have a small weather window on Monday and Tuesday.  We plan to head for Hartlepool which is an overnight run, our first since the Scillies.   We are sorry to miss Whitby but Hartlepool, 30 miles further north, appears to be an easier transportation site should the north winds capture us again. 

Apple Pie
Reward for tearing down the head

While waiting for the weather, we took care of some much needed maintenance.  Bright and early in the morning, the head decided it could take no more and became an all day affair.  After hours of banging and poking, King finally gave in and pulled the hose out of the boat.  He, along with a few members of the Cruising Club who stopped by to watch the excitement, banged the hose on the docks finally breaking the sediment up enough for water to run through.  Everyone and everything smelled of poo by the end of the day.  But....the head is running very nicely now.





Have I mentioned its cold..let's add some hail!

May 24 - Walked the 3 mile + round trip to the marina closest to the town center today.  We had hoped to move there earlier in the week as it is on the other side of the bridge which has limited opening times.  However, all of the hammerheads are full and charges for inside berths are at 1 1/2 times the normal rate because of the big girl's width.  The plan now is to move on Sunday (26th) so we are sure we won't get trapped by the bridge....the memory of the lock in Ipswich is still fresh!  While checking out the marina we met other cruisers who are also waiting to head north.  It looks like there will be a small flotilla of 6 boats, and possibly Wings who is still waiting in Ipswich, will heading out as soon as the winds shift. 


Disappointing news arrived today.  Our daughter, Barbara and partner Michelle will not be able to join us for our crossing to Norway in early July.  A long awaited RFP finally hit the streets with due dates right in the middle of her planned time with us.  Maybe Thanksgiving.

King Takes A Mud Bath

We only planned on spending a few days in Ipswich but here we are, still snuggled up at the end of the harbour. 

May 2 - We found another option to be lifted surfaced thanks to contacts made through the CA.  This is another commercial yard but prices are anticipated to be more reasonable.  In the meantime, we have located yards in Scotland that can handle our width so no worries except for the zincs which haven't been attended to since Gosport. We can't find the commercial yard on the Internet so its time for a road trip. I will spare you from the fun we continue to have driving on the "other" side.  Just let me say when King suggested extending the rental for another day, my interest was less than enthusiastic....something akin to "no...hell no".  But I digress. 


Spring has arrived at Sutton Ho

The good news is the lift can pick us up.  The bad news is there are no shower facilities on site, or hotels in close proximity.  While we can survive this if we don't do the work, I know King and even if there are 10 people painting the bottom, he will be right in the middle of it all.  We will have to think about this.  On the way home we stop by the Sutton Hoo site to see the replicas of the hoard (originals are in the British Museum) found aboard the burial ship a half mile uphill from the River Deben.  (Must have been some funeral.) Spring has finally arrived!

May 3 - A third option is to simply let the boat dry with the tides.  A new thought for us but there is always a first time at everything, right?  We use the last hour of the rental to drive to a recommended site but left unenthused.  Heading back to Hertz we decide that a marina that dries may be a good option to see what kind of shape she is in and change the zincs.  Directly in front of Hertz is the Orwell Yacht Club.  Is this fate?  These wonderful people not only agreed to take us under their wing for our first dry out but Brenda, the Commodore, gives us a ride back to the Haven marina where Ostinato is moored.

May 5 - We are scheduled to leave in the morning for the Orwell Yacht Club but have just been notified the locks are broken.  Only boats less than 6 meters beam can get through.  That leaves us locked in!  The dry out is rescheduled.



OYC in Ipswich at high tide

May 8 - Arrived at Orwell YC just before high tide. Lots of help has arrived and after a nice cup of tea its determined that we will not fit on the drying out posts.  Change of plans, we are drying out at the dock.  Neither of us understand the significance of this until the water leaves and Ostinato keels disappear in the mud.  Peter, the OYC Mooring Master, walks over to the boat making it look easy.  King jumps off the boat and immediately sinks in to his knees.  The stuff is like quick sand.  It's nip and tuck if King's boots are goners.  We have sunk so much they have to dig out a hole in the mud to find the zincs.  The good news, they look great!  The even better news, the bottom looks great also!  YEA! 



Help I'm sinking!

Peter makes it look so easy

 







OYC stop by to help us celebrate Ostinato's first dry out

May 9 - Our departure this morning from OYC promises to be exciting.  The wind is 20 knots plus out of the West and has us pinned to the dock.  Maneuvering room is tight to say the least. There is a chain directly behind us and no space at the bow.  The helpful OYC crew is back in full force to help drag us off the dock.   All, I'm sure, hoping that we will avoid wiping out any of their boats.  Peter, and his crew, man the launch boat.  Two more come aboard Ostinato to manage fenders.  Black smoke roars from the launch as it strains to pull Ostinato away from the dock.  We miss wiping out the twenty five footer tied up directly ahead of us by a hair.  I'm so glad the owners are not aboard.  Finally, Ostinato swings out and after a quick untie from the launch boat, King heads her into the channel to depart.   The channel is narrow and is shared with Foxes, a busy marina sitting next to OYC.  As we come around the first bend, I hear King begin yelling expletives....not to be repeated here.  I look up to see not 2 but 3 sailboats rafted across the narrow channel.  No way the big girl will fit through there.  The wind is blowing like stink and there is simply no where to go.  Visions of crashing yachts flash across my mind.  From the decks of Ostinato, I can see the eyes of the crew on the rafted yachts pop out as Ostinato swings into their view.   Feet begin to fly but there is not enough time.  King swings her to port and heads out of the marked channel into an area that dries out at low tide.  The OYC members from the launch boat and those still aboard give us hopeful encouragement as we move out on the wrong side of the channel markers somehow finding enough water to keep afloat until we eventually find deep water again.  Absolutely nothing like a little excitement in the morning to get the old heart pumping.  Ostinato is back at Ipswich Haven Marina.  A few of the OYC members stopped by to help us celebrate our successful dry out.




May 11 - Weather permitting we will stick our nose out into the North Sea tomorrow morning.  Next stop Lowestoft about 50 miles to the North.



Spring has finally arrived!

OYC members jump in to help get Ostinato settled



Waiting for the tide

King gets pulled from the mud

I know there's a prop in there somewhere!

King gets mud walking lessons

New babies entertained us as the tide departed





Keels in the mud

Spring launching



OYC members made and operate their own lift

 

Birthday on the Thames

April 21: We reluctantly crawled out of bed this morning at 6 a.m. after a late night of meeting new folks, accompanied by great food and drink at the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) annual meeting and awards. Members had flown in from all over the world for the event. How fortunate to be in London when it occurred. The dinner was held on the SS Wellington moored on the Thames. The wine flowed all evening and neither of us regretted this morning that we had skipped out before the final brandy was served.




In the locks to leave St Katharine Docks

Listening to Happy Birthday song 

After a few last minute chores, Ostinato was finally back in cruising mode...or at least close enough to get us down the Thames to our first anchorage. We pulled in last in the lock behind Wings, who is also headed to Ipswich to have work done, and one of the Thames River Barges. Once in the lock, the send off group, led by marina staff, Melanie, sang a chorus of Happy Birthday for King. We learned Wings was also celebrating birthdays this month. What is it with cruisers and April birthdays? That, along with the festival spirit of the London Marathon which was going on all around us, made it quite the send off.

Along the way, just after we passed Greenwich, who do we see standing on the side of the river but our favourite Australians, Judy and Merv from Thorang La! They came to wave goodbye....and catch the Marathon.


Judy and Merv wave goodbye from Greenwich!

One last look at the Cutty Sark

The trip down the Thames was uneventful and the weather picture perfect, that is if your picture includes gloves and a hat. Seven hours after leaving our home for the last 6 months, we slipped into the Medway and made our way up Stangate Creek where we put down the anchor for the night. King had ordered a apple pie for his birthday cake so while I was getting my sea legs back as we motored down the Thames, I was also trying to figure out how to make piecrust. What was I thinking?

Thames Barriers give ok to transit

We are both a bit sad about leaving London. We were way over our fair share of fun and we also know new adventures are waiting for us....so, off we go!




April 22: King performed a new trick last night. His cell phone can now make the boat a wifi zone. So as long as we have cell service, we do not have to skulk around town looking for unlocked signals. This morning we were up at 7:30 to get the boat ready to catch the morning tide. The dinghy still laid across the trampolines so that was the first chore of the day....after I had my coffee. Next was getting the anchor up. It was like we had been doing it every day for the last 6 months instead of partying in London. The final chore was raising the sail. Up it flew to the first spreader, then.... Oops. Did I mention the new boom arrived last week? Looks like a few of the lines were not in their assigned spot. After 30 minutes of King rerigging all of the reefing lines while I held the boat into the wind we were off.

Ipswich lock

It was an easy jump in light winds and flat seas. As a result, we were able to take the inland passage up "the Wallet" into the River Orwell. The trip up the river while fighting the current was beautiful. The River Orwell is reportedly one of the prettiest in the UK. Arrived at ipswich Marina at 7:30 minus one alternator. We are hoping its just a fan belt problem. A long 12 hr day. I'm ready for bed.



Ipswich Haven Marina

April 24: it didn't take King long to find the town's essential suppliers. After a few phone calls, off we strolled to the Ipswich Junk Yard.    While the Junk Yard did not have what was needed, a bearing "store" was located right next door. Complete ecstasy. Fan belts hung around the wall of the tiny outer room of the business. King actually "Oooooed" as we stepped through the doorway. Mercifully it is close to the boat so I did not have to accompany King on his second, or even his third visit as he worked to find the correct sized fan belt. Good news! We have the best fitting fan belts ever.

April 29: Best laid plans have disintegrated into thin air. We had been waiting for the boat yard to give us prices for our haul out. The "tariffs" arrived by email on Friday, the bad news day. The charge for just the haul out is £1000 ($1500. That's double what others charge.  King turned pale. Looks like we will be staying in Ipswich another week as we work out Plan B and I do CPR on King.




waiting for the locks to open at St. Katharine Dock



Goodbye London Tower Bridge!



Royal Navy College at Greenwich on Thames

Count Down!

Oh be still my heart. The sun is shinning and the Home Depot temperature gauge is claiming its 72 degrees. However, the gauge has been a bit suspect since it was first stuck onto the window in February. I decided it thought if it ever told me how cold it really was outside that I would never stick my nose out the door. One would think you could get some idea on the temp based on how the hordes of people that stroll around St Katharine's everyday, but no, if I've learned anything it's don't count on a tourist to suggest appropriate dress. Regardless of the temp, it only takes a sliver of sun to propel some nut to immediately slip into a pair of Bermuda shorts and go for a sprint around the neighbourhood. But I digress. It is so nice today the heat is off and we opened a hatch....only one. Didn't want to get too carried away.....oh good grief. There goes a guy in a t-shirt and shorts strolling across the St Kat's bridge.

The reason the temp has me so excited is that we are on the 7 day count own to departure. King has had the boat turned into what appears to be the aftermath of an explosion for the past 4 days as he changed the oil, fixed leaks and replaced pumps in the engine. Of course, lets not forget the joys of a catamaran. You get to do it twice! So, what better time to invite folks over for dinner. What was I thinking. The other joy of a catamaran is plenty of bedrooms to slide things into and shut the door.

Speaking of food, we took to the road last week and rode the train down to Gillingham to have lunch with David and Liz on Lazy Tern. They were preparing for their next jump to Ramsgate and then off to France and the beginning of their adventure. The day was rainy and cold so the Algarve is sounding better and better. The following day we took the DLR to join Judy and Merv for lunch onboard Thorang La. Afterward, we took the tube to Leicester Square and put our names in the pot in hopes to be one of 11 lucky lottery winners to buy 2 front row seats for £20 for Book of Mormon. Very exciting....we didn't win.....But the boat ain't named Ostinato for nothing. We are going back tonight to give it another whirl.

Chores were completed early today so we decided to make another run at trying to win the Book of Mormon lottery to buy cheap tickets. The show is sold out until Sept. so even if I wasn't cheap, it's the only way we can see the show. We jumped off the tube with only 15 minutes to spare so we zipped up the stairs but turned the wrong way so lost valuable minutes waiting for the phone's GPS to decide to share its pearls of wisdom on the theatre's location. It finally coughed it up and off we ran....10 minutes to go! As we flew around the corner, the first thing we noted was no crowds. Yippee! We got this one covered! Hmmmm. When I say no crowds, I'm meaning deserted. Oh, hell. It's Sunday.

For our last land cruise we took the train to Bath....that's baaaath, and Bristol. It was a typical 2 cites in 2 days Ross tour. To add a bit of interest, we decided to do Baaaaaath during the first day and then hop the train on to Bristol so we could start off fresh the next morning. What we didn't think through was that meant we would be wearing our backpacks for 12 solid hours. By noon, I was ready to start dumping the extra sweater, 2nd pair of shoes (just in case we go to eat somewhere that tennis shoes are not a fashion statement) and the tangerines (one never knows when hunger will attack). As a result, a pact has been made. No more manic traveling! Till next time.

The new boom has been delivered, the reprovisioning completed and a final, unsuccessful bid made for Book of Mormon tickets. Looks like its time to leave our winter nest.

Think warm thoughts

Ostinato all alone

Full house

As Spring struggles to crawl out of this deep freeze we are in, the Cruisers at the marina are beginning to shake out their sails, change the oil, scrub off all of the winter grim on deck and stow all of the items we have dug out of the bilges over the long winter.




The St. Kats Cruisers come out to say goodbye

Thorang La leaving St. Kats

The first yacht out the lock and into the Thames was our neighbour, Thorang La.  Merv and Judy got the royal send off from the winter live aboard's showing up with as much fanfare as we the group could muster considering it was 32 degrees. Three boats followed two days later. Then, the day after Easter, our other neighbours, Lazy Tern, untied her lines at 6 bloody a.m. and headed up the Medway to be hauled before turning Southward to the Med. They, on the other hand, only had us waving them off.......go figure.

Lazy Tern departs before sunrise

So you ask, what about Ostinato? When will she pry herself off of the dock? Not until it gets above freezing is our response.....or the summer rates kick in, which ever occurs first!  In the mean time, we have a lecture on the Back Sea to attend, a new boom to install, the oil to change and, with a bit a luck, one last musical for the road. Current date for leaving the nest is April 21, King's birthday. Think warm thoughts.

 

Surprise visitors

While all the boat goodbyes have been going on, we also had the pleasure of company from Shell Point. Bill and Claire had 5 days and they whizzed through London like a buzz saw. I have never seen anyone walk through the British Museum at that pace. They rented one of the apartments surrounding the marina so getting together was easy. The best part was Claire's son and his fiancé flew into London from Germany.   They surprised her by walking into the restaurant while we were having a glass of wine. She was speechless.

One of the pleasures of having company is that you get to see the sights. Lucky for us, the London Eye and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace was on Bill and Claire's "bucket" list. The view from the Eye was superb. The view of the changing of the guard a bit lacking.

View from the London Eye

The Changing of the Guard is going on in there somewhere....

Who Knew Peanut Butter Is A Liquid

After much preparation and sad goodbyes to Merv and Judy on Thorang La, we hopped on Delta for a quick trip back across the Atlantic. The shutting down of the tube 5 stops before our arrival at Heathrow added a bit of unnecessary excitement but £25 and a quick taxi managed to get us there in time.

I have gained a billion lbs thanks to our fabulous friends who wined and dined us from the minute we arrived in Tallahassee. The first things to greet us, at the apartment we were so lucky to call home (thank you Bill & Claire), was a jar of dill pickles and Gold Fish. Somebody's been reading the blog! From there, we were lavishly entertained every night, most lunches and even breakfast at our weekend sleepovers at Shell Point. Oh, how we have missed the lovely seafood. Sorry fish & chips. You don't stand a chance with stone crabs from Lynn Brothers, just to name one of the delicacies we enjoyed. We also were able to sample much of our fast food favourites...Whataburger, Lindy's wings and Leaning Tower pizza made the short list. Did I mention the champagne? Many thanks to all of you that hosted, joined in, and/or met us as we moved frantically about between Drs, Dentists, Labs and various others who poked and prodded, eventually pronounced us healthy and ready for another year of cruising.....with the minor issue of a need for additional vitamin D and a torn ligament in King's shoulder....justification to purchase that push start dinghy motor.

Monster Kitty (MK) greets us at the door.

Of course, no trip is without its hiccups . The first weekend back, we stopped by the house to pick up much needed Florida clothing, visit the kitties, MK and Ziggy, and gather the mail. While I was trying to make up with the kitties, who were not speaking either because they were so angry about being left behind or in a panic that we were there to take them back with us, ....or both, King was opening the first letter marked JURY DUTY on the envelope. Then the second announcing he was in CONTEMPT OF COURT for missing jury duty. I immediately began envisioning a great photo op for the blog. Neighbour, Lynn Thompson came to his rescue and assisted getting a new jury assignment. Next court date...the day we were scheduled to fly back to London, of course. Multiple scenarios were conceived for who, when and how each of us would return back to the boat but in the end no jury was needed and he was dismissed.....till the next time. What's life without a bit of drama.

King and I prepared a slide show of our sail across the Atlantic, "Sue & King's Summer Vacation" , to share with our many friends at the Apalachee Bay Yacht Club (ABYC). The plan was King would do the first 3 or 4 slides and I would take over from there. As all who joined us that night can attest, once King had the stage he was off and running Ed and Ivor, Ostinato's crew were the self appointed "Fact Checkers" for the evening, got more stage time than I did! It was fabulous to see so many people turn out for the talk. It is for certain that without the support and assistance of many of the members of ABYC we might still be making preparations at the dock.

We arrived in the States with 2 backpacks and the dog's suitcase Catharine left following her visit in October.... another story....We returned with the 2 backpacks and 4 suitcases, 2 of which weighed over 50lbs. The Delta agent let the first and 2nd bags slide but when the 3rd tipped the scale she squawked and King and I hit the floor to swap items about between bags and our backpacks. Hmmm, so what can we carry....the air conditioner compressor or the hose insulation?
Among other goodies, the Jiffy Peanut Butter moved to the backpack. Who knew peanut butter is a liquid. I whined as it was confiscated but got no sympathy.

Arrived back in London to sunshine .....which we enjoyed for about an hour before it suddenly began to snow. Yep, I'm home.