Out on the cut at last!

June 1st. It's been summer for a month now, and at last the weather is good! Friday was positively hot, under a clear, blue sky, and with a gentle, warm breeze. We spent the morning with last-minute preparations for what might be a six-week cruise, then went to the cinema in the afternoon, to see "Epic". We almost felt guilty for going into the dark on a sunny day like that, but we didn't want to miss the film, so we joined an audience of children and parents - it was half-term week - and enjoyed the film immensely.

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world, and ours.

After that, it was shopping at Sainsbury's, to stock up as much as we could for the cruise.

Yesterday was much the same, weather-wise, and we set out at around 11:30 with smiles on our faces. It was a little chillier on the water, with a bit of a breeze, and the sun going behind the occasional cloud, but we'll be very happy if that's the worst weather we get. The canal was quite busy, with holiday-makers and boat owners out enjoying the day.

We moored only a couple of miles up the canal, a secluded spot, open and sunny. Most importantly, it had a low bank, and we chose the spot so that we could finish the paint job we started last year. So, after lunch, we got on with that job, finishing the afternoon with fresh red oxide primer and undercoat on the patches on the port side of the hull above the rubbing strake. Today, we'll smooth that, and apply the blue topcoat. While we're out on the cut, we'll be looking for a similar spot where we can do the same to the starboard side.