Saturday 12th February
We have been experiencing some unfortunate incidents since I last wote. Obviously there was George’s impromptu swim in the marina, which he has already told you about! He was sick the next day and had the squitters for about a week afterwards but on the whole does not seem to have suffered any long lasting problems from it! I put his harness on when I take him out now just in case I have to fish him out again.
About a week after George’s swim Ken, not to be outdone, also went for a little dip! He was creeping along the gunwhale, getting a fishing rod off the roof, something he has done numerous times before when he just slipped off the side! I heard a strange lumping and bumping sound and by the time I got out the back of the boat there was this little voice saying ‘I fell in’. I looked down to find him clinging to the moring rope. I obviously couldn’t pull him out like I did George, so I had to get a ladder. He had a lot of clothes on, including a coat and full of water they were extremely heavy. Of course, by the time he had gone through the bedroom to the bathroom to take them off I had a mini flood on my hands as well!
As a consequence of this Ken needed a new mobile phone. This was a bit of a nuisance as he hadn’t had that one a year! A bit of good news was that he got exactly the same one again for £20 less than he paid before (probably because it’s gone out of date now!) and £10 free credit.
Also as a consequence of falling in Ken has got a bad knee. He must have knocked it on the side of the boat as he went in and it keeps swelling up after he has been on it for a bit. Typical bloke, he won’t go to the doctors about it!
After this our 240v electricity started playing up on the shore line, then the inverter wouldn’t work either or the generator. Cutting a long story short we have had to have £275 of rewiring done and we are not happy bunnies! You don’t expect to have to have rewiring done on a boat which is not yet 18 months old. Apparently the old wiring wouldn’t have passed a BSC! Aaagrh!
On a smaller scale, the other day, it was really windy and our tv aerial and satellite pole blew over. The aerial fell off into the water but the satellite dish was still attatched to the pole which was laying at a jaunty angle on top of our now crushed chimney! The same day next door’s coolie hat blew away. On it’s way it skidded across our roof, removing a large chunk of paint in the process and bounced off the boat on the other side of us into the marina.
Then while emptying my tea pot out of the hatch, I forgot to take the lid off and that flew into the murky depths!
As things come in threes I think we are on our second or possibly third set now! Great!
On a brighter note the Rising Sun has started opening lunchtimes, crappy pub but at least we can take George in there. Ken has got his bus pass so we can go to Burton cheaper and save my bus fare on the beer in the Wetherspoon’s! The weather seems to be improving, the days are getting longer and I have seen my first lamb of the spring. Hurrah!
