Wednesday, April 12, 2017

On the move!

Yesterday's beautiful weather was just right for us to get out onto the cut and do the touch-up work needed on the hull. We seem to have had far more scrapes last year than ever before, so the job's going to take a few days. While we're doing it, we'll be moving in steps towards Foxton Locks, where we'll be meeting up with the kids, and having lunch together.

Our first step was to the stretch just after bridge 27 (GU Leicester Line), and we were amazed to find that there was no-one else there, painting their boat. The bank there is quite low, which means you can paint right down to the water-line quite easily.



Approaching Bridge 27

Moored against the low bank
 

 After sanding down on the port side, we winded just beyond the next bridge...
 ...and returned to the same spot to do the same job to the other side.

And then we went back to the marina! This hadn't been our original intention, but we hadn't realised before just how dirty the hull was, and the marina was the very best choice of place for washing it.

The spring-swept countryside was absolutely glorious.








On our way back, we passed Roger and Cindy in NB Blue Belle, who had spent a few days in the berth next to us. They're on their way to Foxton, too. Roger's an artist, a painter, and they're going to be part of the floating market at Foxton over the weekend. Because they'd left the marina, we had the empty space next to us back again, so today I've been able to wash and apply rust remover to both sides of the boat by moving her from one side of the double berth to the other. Most convenient!

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we'll be applying the hull paint back at bridge 27. One side, anyway. To do the other we'll move on to Welford Junction, turn around,  and moor against the low bank there. That done, we'll wind again and carry on to Foxton Locks. If the weather's good over the weekend, there'll be lots of visitors there. Here's hoping!


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