Thursday, December 04, 2014

There and back again

Yes, we left the boat on Saturday, and went back to the house. It was so good, being able to leave things on Kantara without being concerned about damp and mould, safe in the knowledge that the dehumidifier's doing its job.

But we returned today.

Before we left, however, I thought it wise to go to Kwik Fit to have a slow leak from a front tyre investigated. My nearest branch was busy, and I would have had to wait for well over an hour to be served, so I drove a bit further on to another branch. They had no customers, so I drove straight in, and a guy got on with the job. It took almost half an hour to complete, then he came to see me. He told me that there was no problem with the tyre, but rather that the leak had been between the tyre and the rim of the wheel, which was a bit corroded. He'd smoothed the corrosion away and refitted the tyre, with a sealant around the rim for extra effect. He charged nothing. I was amazed, and quite chuffed!

On to Kantara, then, with just a few things packed for couple of nights' stay. The weather was cold and drizzly, the M1 slowed almost to a standstill just before junction 16. I took no chances, and left the motorway there, arriving at the marina by 2:00.

On our way here, we'd had a call from Pete of Harris Hoods, saying that he'd finished fitting our new cratch cover. And it's lovely! Made to a really high standard, and looking so good. We highly recommend the company.





And it's so much better than the old one; the way it's fitted to the hull, the wider doors with two zips each, the large window beside each door, the way the doors roll up tightly, inside or out of the cover. We're very pleased indeed. There's a possibility that we might want an additional fastener on each side, just to hold down the bottom of the back seam.


We'll see.

Inside the boat, the air was dry and not a cold as we might have expected. The dehumidifier was doing its job well, and the electricity consumption was pleasingly low. Of course, it was still cold in the boat, though. Several winter days with no heating except that provided as a side-effect of the dehumidifier leads to the warmth leaching out of the walls and furniture, so lighting the stove doesn't properly warm the boat for some hours.

Roy's due to come tomorrow morning, to re-fit and seal the sink. It'd be nice if Carl came, too, and put the Alde back together again! When Roy's gone, we'll load the car with any remaining bits and pieces we want back at the house, and the next day we'll winterise and leave the boat. We want to be with Said the Maiden at their last gig of the year on Saturday. It's at Barton le Clay's Christmas Tree Festival at St Nicholas' Church, and we pass very close to the village on our way down the M1, so it would make good sense to go there straight from here. A good way to start Christmas, too!

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