Kantara gets a washing

Yesterday morning, Wednesday, we took Kantara into the wharf (we'd been moored up just outside overnight - with a mains electricity connection, which was a bonus) and watched as she was craned out of the water and settled down onto railway sleeper supports.

The hull was pressure-blasted with water to remove dirt and old, flaky paint. Then she was lifted higher and rested on trestles so that the bottom could receive the same treatment.

While this was going on, Grace and I strolled down the footpath to Foxton Locks for a hot drink and cake, and to gongoozle the two boats in the locks. It had started to snow by then, and there was a bitter cold wind. The museum was closed, unfortunately, so we bought bread from the little shop at the foot of the locks, and walked back to see how things were going.

When the pressure-washing was finished, the trestles were removed, and the boat was lowered onto the sleepers. And there she remained overnight. It was rather odd, living in the boat, six foot above a concrete floor.

On Thursday morning Paul Smith arrived to do the hull survey, while Gale - the lady doing the painting - got on with her job. It was a cold, windy day, ideal for paint drying, but uncomfortable to be out in. The times we had to leave the boat because she was hanging from the crane, Grace and I sat in the wharf office, read and did crossword puzzles. As I type, Gale is applying the second and final coat to the sides. Tomorrow, we go back into the water. We've decided not to carry on with a bit of a cruise. The really cold, windy weather is most definitely not very inviting, for a start.

We have to have a battery problem put right, too. Late last year, we found that the bowthruster battery wasn't charging. Trusty Colin looked at it for us, and found the reason, but, in remedying that, he found he had connected the battery to the domestic bank, which is not recommended. Colin is not an electrician, so I've contacted Simon, who will do the job for us when we're back at the marina.

Next, back to Yelvertoft.