Gremlins bubbling now, then?

(This is getting silly! I'm sorry, but this time five of you got to see the totally-not-even-started post on Thursday. Gremlins abound, and I'm on the warpath!)

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The problem I allude to in the brackets above made me think that perhaps my brain was overheating under my dense mop of hair. Grace concurred, and cut it. It was getting rather too Johnsonesque, anyway. I'm much cooler now - in both senses of the word!

Lots of boats have been coming and going over the past few days. NB Cantrememberthename next to Bob and Jenny on Infinity has gone, though possibly only to a berth at the other end of the marina. NB Achernar arrived back in the marina and went out again within a few days. Several others on the same jetty have gone, too. NB Emma Jane went out for another weekend day-trip, and more than a few other moorers who don't live on their boats have chugged off, possibly for their annual holiday. The marina's looking quite empty now.

The swans are still here, though, making their twice-daily tour, and stopping off at selected boats for the feeds they've come to expect. The cygnets are almost the size of their parents, but they still make the peeping sounds they were using when they were just a few weeks old.

It's good to have neighbours again. John and Sue are back on NB Lindsey Ann, their home, having been locked down with family for months. On the other side of them, Trevor arrived recently to spend several hours digging NB At Last out of the cobwebs, and generally preparing her for their cruising season.

Underneath the layers of spider-web that cover Kantara lurks a substantial coating of grime. It's quite alarming to consider that it has all come down with the wind or the rain. Where does the countryside air get all of its dirt from? I need to give the boat a very good wash - when there's not a gale blowing! Meanwhile, we're gathering together all the tools, paints, varnishes and brushes that we need to do the paint-repair work we're planning to do.

It'll happen before the end of the month. We've just arranged with "the kids" that we're going back to the house to form a family "support bubble" with them for just a few nights. It's Grace's birthday on August 3rd, and a meal is planned. We're really looking forward to it.

Here's a question for those of you who love language. "Now then". What does it mean? How can anything be Now and Then at the same time? The OED tells me how the expression's used, but I already knew that. It doesn't tell me what it means. And words are supposed to mean something, innit?

(Answers on a postcard, please.)

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All change!

Months ago now, we got back to Kantara after a spell back in St Albans to find that NBs Cream Cracker and Achernar had both absconded to the other side of the marina from us. Some weeks after that, we found that the Arrens (Darren and Karen) on Cream Cracker had moved off her and gone back to their house.

The two berths next to us remained empty for some time, which was great because it gave us more light and a better view from our windows. But then came Lindsey Ann to take Achernar's place, and today The Hodma'dod (Olde Englishe for "snail") closed the remaining gap. In fact, they'd already occupied it for a short time earlier in the year, but disappeared again. They're here now for the winter, and it'll be nice to have some liveaboard neighbours again.  Ed and Jan in Emma Jane on our other side only visit EJ occasionally. Good as it's been to have the space around us, we've felt rather lonely. Awww!

Other changes involve Carol on Jimsonweed moving back onto land, taking Frank and Millie with her. They'll all be missed.

(unlike these two, Carol's camera-shy!)

Having washed Kantara a while back, I tried today to wax her. The 9° air was far too cold to let the wax spread properly, and the final job, though it's bound to be water-protective, doesn't look too brilliant. Come the warmer weather next year (fingers crossed for that), I'll give it all the buffing it needs to restore the gleam it ought to have.

Fair-weather farers

Life on board NB Kantara is all rather... not very lively at the moment. OK, it's true that we'd be out enjoying ourselves on the cut right now if we weren't bothered by the weather. But it's also true that it's currently pouring with rain yet again, with a very strong wind, and there's a cracking thunderstorm. We've had a few decent days, sure, but generally we're not encouraged to venture out at the moment. Fair-weather farers I guess we are. I know several folk who've been out for a few weeks, and the bad weather's featured large in their experiences.

It's not as if we've got nothing to do while we're here. Roy and Lee came a few days ago to replace our central-heating pump (which alone cost £180!!), then to flush gallons of black, gunky water out of the system and top up with fresh water/antifreeze mix. They'll be back soon to do some woodwork and tiling in our shower room, too. And Grace is painting castles and roses on the cabin doors.

My role at the moment is that of "the domestic". Well, why not? I ask. Grace played that one for thirty-odd years!

Kantara is sitting in a wide, open space at the moment. Lindsey Ann vacated the berth two away from us on one side for a couple of weeks, but she's back now. The space between her and us was empty for some months after Cream Cracker left, until The Hodma'dod came along, but she was only there for a few days, and I suspect they won't be coming back. And, on our other side, Emma Jane has now been away for several weeks, and no-one seems to know where they are or when they'll return. It is rather nice to have good light and views on both sides.

Whether or not we get to cruise for a short while in the next few weeks remains to be seen, but we will be out with Dorothy, Christine and Mike for a couple of weeks in the middle of September. What we have to do now is decide on a suitable route. Four Counties Ring starting at Fradley Junction? Leicester Ring starting from here? Decisions, decisions!

Go to the gate, and turn left!

It's some days now since NB Emma Jane returned to her home berth next to us, looking very smart indeed after her repaint. She arrived while we were away, and we didn't recognize her when we first saw her. The transformation is amazing. Needless to say, Jan and Ed are delighted.



On the other side of Kantara, Cream Cracker and Achernar have both moved across to the opposite side of the pound from us. Was it something we said? I think it might be that they've moved to a pontoon better suited to their length. There's no point in paying for length you're not occupying, after all.

Things have got even more exciting for Said the Maiden recently. This time last year, they played at the Great British Folk Festival, on the Introducing Stage. There, they won an audience poll for best act, which gave them a place on the Main Stage this year. And that's where they were last Friday evening, playing to an enthusiastic audience of some 2,000 people. And look who they shared the lineup with!

And to that audience they announced their first headline UK tour next November, and the launch of their Christmas single, "Past 3 o'clock", written by them.

Then there's the second album they've started to record, engineered and produced by Steve, for release before the tour. And add to that the recording of the album with The Company of Players in January, and their tour, as well... Exciting times for the Maidens!

Their most recent EP 

Several friends and family members have asked us recently what our cruising plans are for next year, and answer has been, "not to have any plans". Basically, we'll go to the gate and turn left, then see what happens. The left turn gives us the most options. We're going to avoid deadlines, schedules, anything time-critical. There are family and friends who'd like to cruise with us for short spells, and we'll be glad to have them on board, as always. Perhaps we'll see them early in the year, before our major cruising starts. But after them, no plans. Just making it up as we go. We're so looking forward to that!

(Yelvertoft Marina this morning)

Emma Jane's gone away...

...but only for a while. (Sounds like the start of a song, doesn't it?) Ed and Jan left early this morning, bound for Debdale Wharf and a full repainting job. Debdale staff do the hull, John Barnard the cabin, and Jon Leeson the artwork. Just like our job last year. There's no denying Emma Jane needs it, and we're looking forward to seeing her in her new livery in six weeks' time. Ish.

This leaves us with our port side to an open space, which is great.

Cruising's over for the rest of the year now. This has been imposed upon us by the engine problems that still remain. It's not that Kantara won't go anywhere. We took her all the way across to the service platform the other day, to fill our fuel tank!

Photo taken from Kantara in February. Hence the bare trees.

It's just that I'm awaiting delivery of a new air filter for the engine. And I cannot source a hose for the air filter cassette.

I had to throw away the old one, but I can't find anywhere to buy more.

It's 50mm internal diameter, and I need 1.5m of it. Any ideas please, readers??

We've lined up Colin to do a number of other jobs on the boat - replacing the drive plates, repacking the stern gland, and lubricating the Morse mechanism. Or replacing it if the grease doesn't do the job, or if removal reveals unacceptable wear.

So it's with regret that we've had to postpone the visit of three friends we were going to take out for a few days' cruise next month. And Michelle, our annual visitor, will be staying with us, but that'll be here in the marina, next week.

We're a bit fed up about the washing machine problem; that is, it works fine off the mains electricity supply, but not off the inverter. Having spoken with both Zanussi and Victron, it turns out there's an incompatibility between the two devices, which neither of them knew about. Neither can/will they do anything about it. It's at times like this I wish I were a lawyer. I'd take them both to court and sue them for huge sums of money. In your dreams, Roger!

So we'll be hand-washing whilst cruising in future, then. We can still use the Zanussi as a spin-drier, so that's some consolation.

I've started to wash the boat, doing the first pass a few bits at a time. So far, the roof is done, and the bow and stern decks. Once all of the worst dirt is off (and was never that bad!), it'll be a final once-over, hosing-down and waxing. Of course, the paint touching-up has to be done as well, before the waxing. But we can't take Kantara out of the marina yet. It's very frustrating!

But never mind. We're patient. And it's not as if we have nothing to do. I'm putting the finishing touches to my latest book. It's a bit different to "Life with our feet under water", but still for boaters, especially new or would-be boaters. Watch this space!

We're driving to Worcester tomorrow for a few days, mainly to pick up an Ebay auction win, but we'll stay on a bit to do some sight-seeing. The Ebay item is a pair of old, brass lamps. We already have one, but the glass is broken and we can't find a replacement. We could get one made for about £120. The two lamps, both with intact glasses, is costing us ⅔ of that!

OK, it's time for coffee, then to do a bit more boat-washing. If I don't get blown away, that is. We have something of a gale happening here!