The sun is out again now and I can see blue sky through the clouds. The weather here is so weird. We seem to get sunshine, clouds, wind, rain and then sun again alternatively all within the same day. It was cold and raining hard earlier this morning.
Shane checked the weather yesterday and we’ve got some wind and a lot of rain due over the next few days so we’re staying here another week probably. The main jobs are all done but there are little odds and ends to do and we want our first sail to be in nice weather.
I quite like it here. The toilets and showers are nice and clean and that’s my main priority! We also have water and electric and we can see the canal from our boat - what more could anyone ask for?
Today Shane has spent all day transferring his CD’s onto his laptop to set up play lists. So I’ve had snippets of music to listen to whilst I continued to reorganise the galley lockers and pack away spices and lentils into airtight containers and give everything a good wipe down at the same time.
This boat is amazing. It’s like Sport Billy’s bag. (Do you remember Sport Billy?) It seems to absorb everything we’ve brought onto it like a sponge. I had initially been concerned about finding room to pack away all my belongings and the food we brought with us. I purposely kept it on the light side as far as possible, but I was still worried. Being on a boat, size and weight are both big concerns. There’s no room for sentimentality - if something’s not going to be of immediate use, there’s no place for it on the boat. It’s got to go. You can call it being ruthless, or you can call it living in the Now and keeping your life fresh, clear and relevant - it’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s a habit I’m trying hard to cultivate. (Shane would say not hard enough probably as he keeps making jokes (half serious ones) about me throwing out my books!)
Anyway Janix is very helpful in this respect. She‘s got lots of lockers that I’ve been able to neatly pack away all the dry food we’ve brought with us. This has been quite useful as we haven’t been shopping since we got here and for the last few days I’ve been so grateful for Indian recipes that have allowed me to make a nice meal for us every day even without fresh veg.
(Shane always frowns when I tell how amazing Janix is in letting us accomodate all our goods out of sight. To him this is almost a bad quality, as it means it's easier to get weighted down without even realising it.)
We’re due to go shopping on Monday before we give up the car. We put up a couple of for sale signs in the car on Tuesday and have had a lot of interest. A group of young French lads (one carrying a archers bow) have agreed to buy the car from us, and if this falls through we’ve got a contingency sale to an older English-speaking gentleman planned.
Shopping is always a big event for us. It’s usually the highlight of the week, and uses up the full day (especially when you don’t have a car!).
In the meantime, we can boast some Silver Star days this week (no money spent at all), although we forfeited the week’s Gold Star Award as we did head out to the chandlery a couple of days ago to buy a deck gland for the Solar Panel fittings.
So all in all, results for the first week back are good. Unpacking and cleaning mostly done. Minimal Spend. Several big jobs completed by the Captain -new head, solar panels fitted, wired and now providing free juice, new battery installed, new starter motor fitted, new Navtex wired up and receiving weather reports (I finally found out what the new red button does above the Nav Table which I was forbidden to touch under any circumstances whatsoever - it lights up the Navtex so you can read incoming messages). Also the dingy has been fixed (after being torn whilst testing the solar panel fittings - the sound of plastic being ripped and air fizzing out is not a happy noise).
Pleased with my car For Sale signs (if not the time it took me to make them) the Skipper has rewarded me with new assignments also. Apart from being Head Chef I now have responsibility for providing additional ancillary services requiring a non-technical and/or an artistic incline. Holding and pulling cables and wires through at the right angles whilst Shane has been doing the wiring has earned me the dubious title of The Apprentice from Shane. More importantly though, I can proudly say I have been assigned the role of Chief Mosquito Net Maker with independent authority to design and fit myself. I am quite pleased about this.
Yesterday I finished the first one for the Saloon doors (adapted from some net curtains sourced from Shane’s Mums Provisions UK Ltd) and testing in the evening proved the first model to be a success.
The new toys we brought with us are also big favourites on the boat, making it contentious for me as to what the best thing on the boat now is. The pressure cooker is brill and cooks rice and lentils in record times saving us much gas. Shane is enamoured with his new handheld 780w Black and Decker Dustbuster which he happily uses every day after packing away his tools. (Don’t tell him, but I’ve ended up using the dustpan and brush when he was outside because I couldn’t be bothered to get out the hoover and plug it in etc.) To his credit though it does seem to be making a difference and the carpet in the saloon looks much newer having had the power of the hoover applied to it several times.
Privately I still think my large non-stick frying pan with it’s glass cover and double handles is the best thing on the boat,......followed closely by....
- the pressure cooker,....(though I can't fit them both onto the little Vanessa cooker we have at the same time. Which is okay whilst we've got plenty of water to wash a double set of pans, but recipes will need rethinking when we're out anchored and into water-rationing again)...
- then my new black and pink Karrimor Sandals (comfortable for long walks, keeps me cool, dries easily when inevitably made wet, and can reasonably be worn with shorts, jeans or a skirt - a single item of footwear for all occassions, how amazing is that?!-though not allowed on the deck as the soles may mark it) and
- my Casio Sports watch (water-resistant, has an alarm and hourly chimes so I can monitor how productively and effectively I'm using my time, a light so I can see at night without needing to turn on all the electrics, and a stopwatch for timing exercise drills, and dual time so I don't have to use my brain when considering whether it's a reasonable time to contact someone in England). (Both these personal items bought in Nottingham sales at unbelievable bargain prices - I love bargains!).
- Oh, and of course (quite essential) the new water filter jug. That's pretty neat and saves us from having to buy bottled water or having to drink horrible tasting water running through our new hoses from the boatyards mains water supply. (We do have an in-built filter below the sink, but looks like this isn't as effective as it might be).
Yes, you're right. My priorities seem slightly misaligned from the Skippers. He's the main man. You'll get all your technical info from him. Without his driving force on the priorities, I wouldn't be here in the first place.
But seeing as he's concerning himself with the Main Things, I might as well concentrate on the creature comforts and the more simple matters that bring joy to life...(or mine anyway!).
Oh-uh. I’ve been writing too long again. A quick dash now necessary to the Capitanierre’s office before it closes to see if I can get internet connection…..
