Continuing winter work & a new anchor.

Monday 12th January

A quick trip to the boat over the last 3 days, shorter than planned as, after the gales, I found some stitching broken on the spray hood, it was tipping down and blowing a gale so I'll be down again as soon as there is some dry, hopefully warmer weather to fix that and carry on with other work. But I did get some things done mainly continuing work on the engine, post to follow when finished, some tidying up and replacing the bower anchor. 

Whilst I have generally been satisfied with the "high" holding power Delta anchor I have now had two very nasty instances of it giving way, the first in the Pembroke River was almost certainly down to pulling through a mound of newly displaced mud or through into a newly dredged hollow.

The second, in 2025, however was more unsettling, true it was in fairly extreme conditions but the holding was at least reasonable and the anchor failed after earlier holding in more wind, probably down to excessive yawing and a falling tide but I would have hoped for the anchor to cope. 

I have also had a few occasions when I could not get the Delta to set, most notably at Loch Mariveg, Isle of Lewis in May 2025 when I tried 8 times to anchor in several areas and still failed.

This year I am planning to cruise the west coast of Ireland were there are fewer marinas and potentially strong winds coming in from the Atlantic, so I decided to replace the Delta with a more modern and much more expensive (almost 3 times the price) "super high" holding power 9Kg Rocna "Vulcan". That was quickly installed once I had found some suitable load tested "Titan" shackles and the seizing wire. The original 24 Lb CQR is now ashore for good and the Delta is relegated to #1 kedge.  

Whilst the majority of the Delta is in good shape there is a disappointing
amount of rust on it, perhaps not that surprising having been in the anchor
locker for c 20k miles and in use for 350 nights and a few lunch breaks.
Note that the swivel should be attached via a shackle but I robbed that
for the Rocna which they say should not need a swivel, just back to
back shackles.

It is being cleaned with "brick" cleaner (acid) to remove a lot of crud and
will then be treated with "Fertran" before being painted and returned
to the boat.

Done, just need to seize the first shackle when it gets to the boat.

Saturday 27th December

It is rather more comfortable working at home, but annoying when you realise that you need something that is on the boat 200 miles away, this time the sail makers kit I need to make a cover for the newly varnished tiller and to remake the throw bag that, like the emergency ladders, has suffered from UV and is starting to fall to pieces; planned obsolescence I suspect, straight forward canvas would last longer, the current one is the second I have bought and about 4 years old. Still there should be plenty of time to make those after my next visit to Milford which will be as soon as we get a warm spell.

I am fitting a remote card reader for the plotter to save removing the cover to get at the cards - I could not get the current Garmin Navionics chart to transfer from the iPad in one go but it was quick and straight forward to write it to the SD card using Garmin Express. The reader was too long to fit so I had to put deeper side pieces on the cover and revarnish. 

Fitted. The holder on the left is for the hand held VHF. Also shown, the emergency
knife, EPIRB mount, strobe and head light, all within easy reach of the cockpit.

Some repainting of engine bits in process, about 3 days more
 for the air filter cover and one or two for the water pump.

Sunday

Getting there.

Tuesday

All done, now waiting for sensible weather to get to the boat.

Trying to get the boat back in the water.

Sancerre was scheduled to launch last Friday, the 5th, but strong winds and heavy rain prevented that. Probably not a bad thing as the very wet weather meant the anti-fouling was behind schedule. The launch was rescheduled for the following Tuesday the 9th.

I put a coat of anti-foul on the skeg, rudder and leading edges shortly after
coming ashore as these get more wear and needs 3 coats. The first full coat of blue was
done on 3rd December after weeks of rain, there was a real risk of not getting the 2nd full
coat on before the scheduled relaunch but that has was put back from Friday 5th until
Tuesday 9th because of yet more bad weather on the way.

Windjammer Marine got the last of the blue done in a short window on Friday and did the boot line today (Monday).
 

Pics by Windjammer Marine

I was due to go down Monday to fit the new anodes, get the newly marked anchor chain back on board and do a few other chores to get ready for launch, then on Sunday came the weather forecast for Tuesday; 30 knots of wind gusting to more than 50 knots and 60 knots possible. Update: I understand it was gusting 56 knots through the boatyard causing some damage on other boats.

There was no point in going down for that so I cancelled the hotel booking and today we have rescheduled the launch for Monday the 22nd December, hopefully there will be sufficient water as the spring tide is low at 6.6m which is marginal. 

Tuesday

A good decision, 30 knots of wind gusting 49 reported at 09:00
and forecast to be similar or more throughout the morning,
it peaked with gusts of 53 knots (61 mph).

Sunday 14th.

With all of the flooding in the area and amber warnings for rain this coming week, there will be lots of freshwater coming down the pill which will keep water levels in the dock above normal levels which helps albeit with brackish waters that will increase the draft a little. It is a long way out, but the ECMWF is showing a brisk north easterly for Monday week and I could get wet, not ideal but manageable. Fingers crossed!

No "proper" boat work to do at home so back to models.

Thursday 18th.

Hopefully I'll get the boat in on Monday, the wind is now forecast to be c 10 knots on Sunday and Monday, the ecmwf and UK gobal models show that increasing to 20 knots gusting 30 on Tuesday afternoon, hopefully that will not come in earlier, or the UK domestic model is correct showing no increase through Wednesday.

Sunday 21st.

Anodes changed and shaft primed for antifoul where left bare by slightly
shorter Aluminium Anodes. Also a coat of silicone on the propeller.
Various other jobs done and ready for launch!

Monday 22nd.

For some reason I had been scheduled for the second launch but that was quickly changed by the boss man who was doing the launches as the large motor boat also to be launched, drew significantly less than Sancerre. The boat was put into the slings in the twilight, antifoul quickly put on the areas previously covered by props and we were in the water by about 09:00.

The rush to get me in was not because of  lack of water but too much due to all of the rain, they wanted me in early so they could start letting water out through the lock to avoid flooding further up what used to be the pill before it was built over.  A "Pill" is the name, mainly used in S Wales and Cornwall, for a creek or shallow tributary to an estuary, usually largely drying at low water.

It was a tad windy up the chuff getting onto the berth but manageable single handed and I got a line round the end cleat on the end of the pontoon finger first try despite the fender which gets in the way. It was a little fortunate as half an hour after it was blowing well over 20 knots, at that I would have gone onto a spare berth heading into wind and waited, the marina staff probably not being available to help as they were doing the next launch.

I had got a lot done by lunch time and I had rather over done it the previous day and was rather achy so decided not to stay the night for some fairly arduous work on Tuesday and after a good trip back was home before five.

Laying Up - Ashore

With awful weather predicted for Monday I went to the boat on Sunday afternoon to do some work before the haul out on Wednesday, that worked out well as I got some useful odds and ends done on Sunday, then on Monday I installed a new water tank - the water was starting to smell, even with purification tabs, sterilisation back in March and a filter. 

I had also decided that the boat was trimmed too far down in the stern due to:

• Moving the water tank with 40 - 50 Kilos of water aft when I replaced the fuel tank.
• The larger steel fuel tank replacing a bladder plus a couple of cans of spare, put 100 Litres of fuel totalling c 120 Kg, with tank, a long way aft.
• Carrying the dingy on the roof rather than forward.
• Stowing my two long and heavy ropes (80m of 14mm & 100 or 12mm) in the quarter berth.

So using the original deck fitting the new bladder tank is in the forepeak with the on-demand electric pump back under a saloon berth which frees up a little room in the under sink locker. The ropes are also now in the forepeak leaving more room for the heavy weather and storm jibs in the quarter berth and giving better access to all. They can easily be moved back if necessary.

Tuesday saw a lot of odd jobs done and Sancerre was hauled out at 09:00 on Wednesday with essentially no wind it was very straightforward, unlike last year when I had >20 knots of wind blowing me into the hoist requiring the engine to be running astern for at least the last hundred yards which makes steering tricky with the prop walk.

 

On Tuesday it was me queuing behind the previous

boat to be lifted.

Spot Sancerre (click to expand, answer below).
Link to live cam (with adverts)

I was very pleased with the state of the hull, the change of location and anti-foul has made a big difference, she looks dirty but it was mainly slime with no weed or Barnacles on the main part of the hull. There was a good crop of Barnacles and small limpets in a couple of places where there was little or no anti-foul such as on the shaft where a anode had come off, the underneath of the keel and rudder and on the rope cutter. The prop was also good and was cleaned of growth from the last few months with a gentle wipe with a cloth and the "Pellerclean" has been on since July 2023. 

The clean spots are where the sling slipped
forward before being stopped by the safety lines.
This is a common issue with boats like the A9m,
Contessa 32, etc. with a sloping profile from
the forefoot to keel. It can be an expensive mistake
to omit the safety rope! Make sure the operators
knows it is required.

This may look dirty but it is nothing compared to previous years.
The bag over the propeller is to protect the "Pellerclean" anti-
foul coating from errant sprays from the power washer.

Mullet have been grazing on the rudder. The port side is dirtier
than the starboard side due to the right handed propeller and
being moored starboard side too keeping the sun off that side.

It cleaned up very well (pics if I remember next time down) and the question now is 2 or 3 coats of anti-foul? At £109.95 per 2.5 litres (RRP £157.68) one does not want to be profligate with it! Nor do I want to built up a thick coat of anti-foul which at some point might then need striping. Decision: I’m going for two coats generally but three on the skeg, rudder and three or four on leading edges.

The next visit will hopefully include re-marking the anchor chain and removing the last link that is a bit rusty due to contact with the stainless anchor swivel, prep work for anti-foul, cleaning the top sides, refitting the anchor locker cover removed for painting, refitting the removable parts of the Blakes sea cocks after cleaning, some anti-fouling and more. Work is never ending on a boat!

 

Sancerre is on the 2nd row in, by the road. Second left from
the wide footpath across the yard. 

Laying Up - Rope and Canvas work.

Wednesday 1st October.

A new topping lift for the spinnaker pole. It took a while for a
suitable reel end to turn up and it is not my preferred colour but at a
40% discount I'll live with it, 17 metres x 8mm of my favoured
 premium braid on braid - Lyros Hercules £20.40.

I reused the shackle and it took c 45 minutes work to put a nice
mousing loop on one end (there is no core in the loop so it will
go through the mast sheeves) and the snap shackle on the other. It
would have been quicker but I forgot the snap shackle, realised
before it was too late, and had to back track.

I don't understand why more people don't do their own splicing.

Age is beginning to show on some of the canvas work with a few damaged areas due to chafe, also the bags containing the man overboard ladders are falling to pieces due to UV exposure although the ladders are fine and I could do with replacing a couple of halyard bags. Time to try my hand at canvas work!

8 years old, and until last winter on the boat most of the year - with
the boat on the mooring in a fast flowing estuary this was essential
as transferring between dinghy and boat is a prime cause of going
overboard. I had thought to put a large canvas patch over the
damage but having looked at the construction and the extent
 of the damage I decided that it would be best to make new bags.

The ladder cleaned up reasonably well although I'll give it one
 last clean before fitting the new bag now that some stronger
 cleaner has arrived.

But before starting a fairly complicated job for a novice, some patch work for one of the dodgers and to cover two small slits in the stack pack.

The two aft lines have both chafed the canvas, the forward lines,
two a side, have a better lead and are undamaged. View from the
inside; a full length batten does through the white pocket and the
webbing loop to which the lazy jack is attached on the other side.

I lashed out £25 on what appears to be a brilliant tool, a
"Speedy Stitcher", advertised as a manual sewing machine
 which is not a big exaggeration, it was slow going on my
test piece but produces a good looking locked stich.

It turns out I could have saved some of the dosh, the needles
fit this very old equivalent that I inherited. And the bobbin
in the new version is a waste of time because you can't get
rid of twists in the thread. But the old one is a bit small.

Patches ready to go, folds glued with PVA and left overnight.

OK, not pro standard but not too bad for a first attempt with
hand stitching, and they will certainly do the job.

Click here for part 2.

Laying up - Bilge paint and engine service.

My last visit to the boat before Sancerre gets lifted out on Oct 22nd and two busy days.

After cleaning the bilge in late August  It was still rather smelly, partly down to not using the engine very much during my trip to Padstow and back so that there was very little water in the bilge and partly due to some oil and grease on the metal parts that, knowing they had to be cleaned immediately before painting, I skimped on last time. 

This time cleaning did not take long and to be on the safe side after rubbing down I painted all of it including the keel nuts, the three spreader bars and what is essentially a jack between the iron keel and the  mast support.

The forward bilge, painted last year, and the bilge under the engine still need cleaning and the latter possibly painting but hopefully it will now stop smelling. To reduce the labour required in the future and hopefully any smell, I have added a trap to reduce / stop spills from the engine and water & grease from the stern gland reaching the bilge. This largely worked in the first few years that I had Sancerre but for some reason I stopped doing it when my supply of pads was finished.

Oil Absorbent (Hydrophobic) pads in the aft part of the bilge
 in the saloon and under the forward part of the engine catch
hydrocarbons but lets water go forward into the bilge, when
dirty they are hoyed out and replaced hopefully reducing or
eliminating bilge smells and keeping the bilge reasonably clean.

The other significant job was the first part of the engine service. Now that the boat is coming out for an extended period after the season, I do the oil and fuel part as early as possible to get rid of the grotty oil but delay the water side until she is back on the berth after lift out, I can then leave the engine drained down during the winter months and put the new impeller in just before the first cruise.

This year I will also be replacing the water thermostat, looking though the workshop manual I found that this has a 2,000 hour life, but that is not reflected in the service schedule! Not a big deal as it is hopefully not far over from its last "major" service but I could have had problems if I had relied on the operations manual rather than buying the workshop manual.

Other jobs completed include getting the genoa off and back home and this year for the first time in a while also the mainsail and stack pack, the latter needing some work to patch a couple of small holes due to chafe.

2025 Review and Stats.

 A very disappointing second half of the season, for the third year on the trot I had to cut short a cruise and this time rotten weather in September prevented a second cruise of any length so that despite an early start my distance sailed and days sailing were the lowest since the Covid abbreviated 2020 season. 

On the plus side I did spend a slightly higher proportion of my time at anchor and I avoided days stuck in horrendously expensive marinas that cost me so much in 2024. Also I had no breakages or breakdowns apart from the darn heater and diesel bug discovered when I got back to Milford Haven, but apart from labour and a few litres of fuel that didn't cost anything or delay me.

Statistics through September 2025 from my summary log kept in Excel:

Click to view,

2025 1st cruise: 84 days. 337.5 hours at sea, 27 night hours (minimal as many of the longer legs were in what counted for summer in Scotland), 1,602 nautical miles, 1,844 statute miles, 44 days at sea, 28 weather bound. 47 nights at anchor.

Second cruise just Milford to Padstow and back, 161 NM, 185 SM, 4 days sailing if you include the two short hops between Port Quin Bay and Padstow, 2 nights at anchor and 2 nights in Padstow. Very little diesel used on this trip 😀.

There was some excellent sailing around Scotland, Orkney and Shetland and the cruising chute and particulalry the spinnaker got a lot more use than normal. On the other hand there was still too much motoring for my liking, too many days weather bound (although well shy of the record in 2023) and I really needed the heater that broke down (again) shortly after leaving, I was using thermals almost every day until the middle of June - there was no heat wave up north! Thankfully there was little rain until I reached Stornoway on the way back. 

48 port / anchorage calls was well down on previous years but 29 of those where visited for the first time which was good.

Now a very long wait until next years cruise, starting in late March or April and probably around Ireland with an excursion to the Hebrides. Then after several aborted attempts hopefully the Channel Islands with a stop off in the Scillies one way or the other - or both.

The dreaded diesel bug. Part 2 - The fix (I hope)

I'm feeling rather please with the decision I made to replace the bladder tank, which would not have been cleanable and would certainly have been very hard to do if it was. Also of how I fitted the replacement, I feared a very difficult job in cleaning the tank because I was not sure the access would be good enough and particularly getting the inspection hatch off with the pick up tube being quite long, it came with the pick up tube installed and I was not sure if it could easily be removed with the cover in place. Moving the tank is possible but a major job, even with over 30 Kg of fuel in it pumped out. 

The fuel tank on installation, the priming bulb didn't work and was
removed - the low pressure fuel pump not being strong enough to
open the non return valve. Note how close the top of the tank is to
the cockpit seat, the fuel pick up mounted on the inspection hatch
extends to within a few mm of the tank bottom.

I need not have worried, with the breather and fuel return pipe removed and after a struggle to slacken the fore and aft restraining strap the cover came off easily and I didn't even have to disconnect the fuel line which later saved a lot of pumping to get air out of the system.

When opened I could see the bottom of the tank on the outboard side and it looked pretty clean but when I took some pictures of the inboard side, that wasn't - it was awkward pressing the icon to take the shot whilst holding the phone and lamp, these are the best pics I could manage:

Dead diesel bug on the inboard side looking
forward. The fuel was largely white diesel with
some red and a small dash of green which made
looking through it much easier than if it had been
all red. A minor contamination compared to many
but still needing to be sorted.

And looking aft.

The bug had generally been broken down but not into small enough pieces, there was a couple of clumps an inch or so across and a few small strings (bottom right in the picture immediately above and on the next).

I pumped out the first 20 litres or so, filtering it into clean cans, and being careful not to disturb the debris. I then used the pump to suck up much of the gunk with the remainder of the fuel into a separate sacrificial spare can. This got rid of the majority of the rubbish but left some:

After pumping.

The rest of the fuel and dead bug were then mopped up with kitchen roll.

Almost done.

Finished, unfortunately the pic showing the cleaned
area around the fuel sensor was too blurred to be meaningful.

I then refilled the tank, gave it another "shock" dose of Fuelset and the engine started immediately running for close to an hour without needing to bleed the system, I'll be sure to run it for a bit longer next time I am down to the boat to make sure it is not going to conk out as I leave the marina and will change the filters after a few more hours running to give any remaining particles time to get to the filters.

Fortunately the marina said they would take the contaminated diesel into their hazardous waste facility, some don't.

Job done. I hope.

The dreaded diesel bug.

"Diesel bug, also known as fuel bug, is a term for microbial contamination of diesel fuel, primarily caused by the growth of bacteria, fungi, and other micro organisms in the presence of water. This contamination can lead to blocked filters, corroded fuel lines, and even engine failure."

Google AI description.

The bug is becoming more prevalent as it loves bio-diesel and is a particular problem in boats due to condensation and, for many, low usage both in the boat and at some marina facilities. If the strands, alive or dead, get sucked into the pick up pipe they will quickly block the filters and stop the engine and that most often happens in rough seas when you least want it.

Fuel Treatments:

Have two purposes, to kill the bug and to disperse it into very fine particles that will pass through the filters and injectors to be burnt in the engine. Good ones will also reduce water in the fuel that the bugs need. Most treatments do both and if used in a high “shock" dose will kill most, but not all, quickly. The treatment I use is one of the best all rounders although it doesn't kill quite as quickly as some. I chose it largely because it is the go-to treatment for the fishermen of Newlyn. To be on the safe side I always use the "shock / killer” dose as soon as the fuel goes into the can and often before, as in the great scheme of things, its not that expensive and you can't overdose.

Coming round from Fishguard to Dale I got it. My Facebook post: 

Diesel Bug! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 [] I decanted some diesel into the tank and in the can were the remains of diesel bug. Hopefully dead as I always put a double dose of Fuelset in with it. I haven’t had any red diesel in it since Kirkwall and only once before at Howth outbound, so unless it has been lurking there since and I have not seen it then it has come from a roadside fuel station. 

It’s a yellow plastic can [that was new this year] and the crud was easily visible so I don’t think it’s been there that long.

I have put a precautionary massive dose of Fuelset into the tank (you can’t overdose) but I am going to have to get 40+ litres of fuel out of the tank, open it up and clean the whole system which will be a big and very awkward job but at least it is possible with the new stainless tank, unlike the previous bladder tank, and I’m close to base and not 500 miles away.

Whilst anchored at Dale waiting to go into the marina I first checked a second can that was filled at the same time, it was clean. It is a bit of a mystery because the infected can has never been empty for long and it has been cycled fairly frequently and has always had a big dose of treatment, so I don't know why it grew in the can and I would have thought supplying fuel pumps would filter out at least the large particles. 

I decided it would be a good idea to change the preliminary filter. Facebook post:

I didn’t want to risk the engine conking out going back to the marina so I changed the preliminary filter, not my favourite job as the seal on the Delhi filter is not easy to get in place and it needs a lot of pumping to bleed the system.

Previously I have always thought I had wasted my time [and money] as the filters were always clean. Not this time. The filter was replaced before this cruise so I’m in for some work cleaning the whole system:

The filter opened up, I have never before seen anything other
than the odd spot. This is presumably dead diesel bug that has
been dispersed but not well enough to go through the filter and
engine. The filter was replaced before this years cruise.

And in the water trap, previously that has always been clean.

This would suggest that some seriously contaminated fuel was introduced earlier this year, the prime suspects would be red diesel from Howth or Kirkwall where turnover would be less than the service stations I have used this year (Milford Haven, Tobermory, Stromness, Stornoway, Tobermory a second time and Ardglass).

The next steps will be to open up the tank to test the fuel to make sure it is all dead, do a visual inspection and then almost certainly get the fuel out to clean the tank, which is going to be a sod of a job.

Continued.

2025 June 21st, Day 84. To Dale and cruise stats.

The mornings Facebook post with a few edits:

Another change of plan. I thought it might happen when I saw the models last evening but was tired so left it till the morning to run the numbers.

The ecmwf and ukmo agree that the only days in the next week without 15 knots or [a lot] more of SW wind will likely be today (before evening) and probably Wednesday with a gale Thursday/ Friday.

That would be at best uncomfortable getting south so I am heading for Milford today and will sort out the marina issue later, possibly going into Nayland for the gale, sounds daft but cheaper than loosing my free month at Milford.

Ramsey Sound this morning then either outside Skomer or wait till this evening to go through Jack Sound this evening, probably the former as F5 is forecast this evening or overnight. The bad news is mist or fog ahead [and rain], but that should clear before it’s a problem, also there will probably be some rain c mid day.

Going round in 15 + knots of wind would take 2 - 3 times as long due to "stopping" seas, having to take a longer route as short cuts would likely be dangerous and not being able to get round in one tide.

I was away at 07:20 having checked the tides etc. There was a bit of mist, no wind, calm sea and the prospect of rain but with the following tide I made very quick progress past Strumble Head.

Unusually Strumble Head light flashes all day.

Ramsey Sound needs care but is not difficult even at half tide when it is strongest - providing it is with you! One day after neaps I had time to take some videos whilst the autopilot and plotter did the hard work using my pre-planned route from the last time I went through.

St Davids Head and the entrance to the Sound.

Entering The Sound, "The Bitches" reef ahead.

Ramsey Sound, with the neap tide there was only 
1-2 knots of tide most of the way through and
only briefly 3 - 4 knots near "the Bitches".

It had started to rain as I exited the sound and the new oilskins and boots got a test, they kept me completely dry 😊. The rain was patchy until Skomer then it was a straight forward sail down Broad Sound and although I missed the tide at St Ann's Head the adverse tide was only a little over a knot so no big deal in the calm water. This time there were no pot buoys to contend with so I was able to go close in and was at anchor on Dale Shelf at 14:00.

28 miles in six and a half hours.

Well I guess that is the official end of this years first cruise, back where I left from at the end of March, 1,602.1 nautical miles over the ground. And 8 years to the day since I launched Sancerre the day after assuming ownership.

And as a birthday present to the boat I just found Diesel bug in a fuel can, my Facebook Post:

Diesel Bug! Earlier I decanted some diesel into the tank and in the can were the remains of diesel bug. Hopefully dead as I always put a double dose of Fuelset in with it. I haven’t had any red diesel in it since Kirkwall and only once before this year at Howth outbound, so unless it has been lurking there since and I have not seen it, then it has come from a roadside fuel station.

It’s in a new yellow plastic can and the crud was easily visible so I don’t think it’s been there long.

I have put a precautionary massive dose of Fuelset into the tank (you can’t overdose) but I am going to have to get 40+ litres of fuel out of the tank, open it up and clean the whole system which will be a big and very awkward job but at least it is possible with the new stainless tank, unlike the previous bladder tank, and I’m close to base and not 500 miles away.

Again

I suspect there will be a post or two about that after I have frittered away the time before going on to my berth. 

This Cruise:

• 1,602.1 nautical miles over the ground (1,843.7 statute).
• 43 stops.
• 26 locations visited for the first time leading to a lot of changes and updates to my review of anchorages!
• 44 days sailing out of 84.
• Only 27 night hours as many of the longer legs were in what counted for high summer in Scotland which missed the heat waves.
• 28 days weather bound.
• 37 expensive days in a marina or on a buoy.

After arriving at Dale poor weather and generally strong winds, although no gale, meant there was little incentive for local cruising and I stayed where I was except for an excursion up the Haven to Hobbs Point for shopping. 

I went onto my berth as planned during free flow on the 1st and got a train at 11:00, like the last trip home there was significant disruption to rail services, this time knock-ons from points problems near Reading but by changing trains 5 times rather than three and going via Bristol Parkway, Swindon and Didcot rather than Reading I ended up at Oxford earlier than planned only to find the next 2 trains to Bicester cancelled because of problems at High Wycombe!

Just as I was contemplating getting a bus they announced a "special train" had been put on that would get me home and the masses of people waiting on the platform who were presumably heading for London Marylebone headed off to Reading and Paddington so I was able to get on the short train and was home by six thirty.

Update:

My wife did no get her operation until early August so it will be a while before I can go sailing again, but hopefully I'll be away in September before the boat gets lifted on October the 22nd - booked well in advance as there are very limited dates when there is sufficient water for the lift and re-launch, particulalry this year when in November and December the spring tides fall on or close to weekends and the Christmas holiday.

Click  here is the first post of two on the fuel bug.