Almost Ready!

You know how retired people say they don’t know when they had time to go to work…. I’m starting to believe it!!!

Never-the-less, we are ready for the off tomorrow:

• The generator housing is finished.
• Side hatch  linings varnished.
• Back door linings varnished & new brass lock fitted.
• Repeat prescriptions organised for Joy.
• Visits to opticians done, and replacement lenses for us both.
• Store cupboards filled.

Of course, nothing was straightforward;

I forgot to specify enough ventilation for the generator’s cooling air to escape, so the ever patient Alex cut & welded to put things right.
I ‘lost’ one of the side hatch handles. Having replaced one of the side-hatch linings 18 months ago I’d taken it off and put the handle in a safe place, too safe evidently, because I couldn’t find it anywhere.

So, buy new ones, simples? Oh no, the new ones were a different design and our boat fitter had already refitted the one old one so changing it would have left screw holes in the nice new wood, what to do? I don’t know if I believe in Karma, but maybe what goes around comes around. A passing boater had a fuel problem and I was sure I had a ⁵/₁₆” compression fitting to help him out, well I didn’t find that but I did find my missing handle!!!

I’ve fitted a nice new brass (plated) lock and made a real brass striker plate.

I also cunningly repainted the brass plaques red and green to remind me which is port & starboard should we stray onto those scary river things.

Oh yes, Catty was not forgotten and has a new cat flap,

You’ll have to wait for the piece-de-resistance  though, as our doors for the semi-trad stern are away to have some rather special artwork added to them, but here they are, resplendent in  our boat’s colours (courtesy of Andy) awaiting the artist to add the final touches.

For the interest of those who need repeat prescriptions whilst cruising, after exploring various options with our doctor, we found electronic prescriptions wouldn’t easily work as you have to specify a dedicated pharmacy, but as our doctor regards Joy as ‘stable’ she was able to issue post dated prescriptions to see us through a few months and agreed to post any further ones required to a post-restante address.

We had a passenger into Banbury, Joy’s friend Sandra, who presented us with a painting she’d done of Wrens-Nest.

So here we are at Castle Quay, Banbury with a rainbow over the GF Club.