Jus' Perfick

Thank you to my sister. She is not somebody who will accept less than the best so when the carpet was laid in her new conservatory she could not live with the lightening toward the centre. The weaving defect had to go!

And so the carpet that she rejected is now in the saloon of Sonflower. And it does look nice. The fitting isn't perfect but we will live with it.

Thank you, Sis!

Gastro Nautical

We are on a mission. We have entered a new arena.

The Best mate and I are now gastronauts after a wonderful seven course seafood dinner (what else could it be) at Rick Stein's Seafood restaurant in Padstow.

We can only say that everything was superb. We have never eaten Sea Urchin before. Exciting stuff.

The room in the hotel is also wonderful. With a bath and a shower big enough for two! and probably more but not quite a whole rugby team. A far cry from what we are used to on the boat with a shower not quite big enough for one!

Today we have to struggle through breakfast and lunch before our mission is complete.

And a trip round the bay: we must get on a boat!

Many thanks thank you to my children who gave us this trip as a birthday present.

While keeping warm

While they are in South Africa escaping the frost, here is Auriga in the draining dock before it gets the blacking treatment. We will be folowing her in on Thursday.

moving, brrrr

This morning I was pleased to see nb Heron's Rest on the water and breaking the ice on the way to town. They have the second longest stay with Tooley's in the last year as they struggled to fix a diesel stove that would not light. All sorted now though. They were not returning to the yard but were heading for Oxford. I was pleased because I do not like ice-breaking. I had to wind this morning which, with ice floes either side is interesting. Then off to town again.

This visit is for re-blacking. There has been a lot of diesel on the surface of the canal this winter and it has taken the blacking off at the water line. As this is the most important area to protect, I felt it was important to get it re-done before the cruising season starts in earnest.

It gives an opportunity to do the snags as well and re-torque the engine cylinder head while it is there.