Transition to Departure

Monday 24th March to Wednesday 2nd April 2014

We have spent much of the past 9 days doing our final preparations before we head out of the marina for the final time.

The trip back from Northumberland was via the P.R.O. Cast in Retford (Nottinghamshire) where we went to find out about fibreglass porthole liners to replace the current ones which are MDF swollen with moisture.

So a trip down the A1(M) which was something different.

Anyway, we met Sandra and Brian and found out a great deal more than we knew about windows and have a plan now to rectify the way that ours sit out from the wall.

We came away with a sample to measure up and see how to fit it in and how it will look - the sample was a "seconds" but will do the trick in checking it all out.

Once done we will then go back and purchase 4 good ones.

Coming back onto the boat was a bit strange - with no Banjo and there are still sounds around that remind us of him so very much.

The strangeness was uplifted with the news that Elaine and Paul (nb Caxton) had sold their boat and would be landlubbers within a few short weeks - so happy for them to be able to move on to the next step of what they wish to do.

Since then the list of jobs to get done has slowly been whittled down.

Vents have been added to both sides of the dinette; a further vent into the portside wardrobe at the back; breadboard re-sanded and oiled; cables tidied up; the hatch slider rails have been de-rusted, primed and sliders reinstalled; new elastic straps have been fitted to the pram hood; engine checked; batteries checked; the front and back buttons have been removed and cleaned up; the chains for the buttons have been covered with a black plastic heat-shrink material to prevent wearing the paintwork; the gas locker has been repacked.

There are a few more things still to do on the list, but none that need a lot of electric - we are doing our best to use up all that we have paid for.

Diane was reading the blogs last week - well she reads them every morning with her first coffee in bed - when she came across a snippett that nb Balmaha were on the move and heading toward Stone - a quick email to Vanessa and Mo - we caught up with them last Friday and they joined us and a couple of others for early doors at the Titanic.

Wednesday and we were anticipating the arrival of Stella, whom we have known for most of our boating experience - we had all moored in Aston together, when she was with Mike, now she has moved on and is on another boat Chudder and with Dave who also owns a boat.

Conditions conspired to make a 90 minute trip last for 5 hours, so they arrived a bit frazzled and we met them in The Swan.

We had met Dave briefly before - back in September last year - but now had a better opportunity.

You have to like someone who has such an interest in Dutch barges. A few drinks in The Swan and dinner at The Olives - yet another goodnight. We will catch up with them later on when we venture a bit further south.