Another messed up week weather wise.  However, we have fixed the date for the imminent departure - 13th April.  Now written in pen in the diary! As I write this it is only three weeks away - can you believe that!  Sailing wise, we had a weekend in Lymington - weather down was awful on the Saturday, fog!  Which fortunately cleared as we got half way down the Solent. 

Lymington in the mist and rain!

The picture shows just how exciting it really was! Yuk. Anyway we did manage to wander about and get some antifouling.  Sunday morning - rain!  However, we weren't due to leave until the afternoon, and fortunately the sun came out and it was a lovely sail back. 

Tuesday we sailed to Deacon's, Bursledon where we met up with Dick and Judith.  Lunch in the Jolly Sailor.  Had a good laugh.  Four old people have a really good time!  Daft old sods.......

Didn't manage to get out last weekend because of the really strong winds, but did go to a refresher DSC course at Island Sailing club on Saturday.  Pretty useful because of the extra information gained, which I hadn't picked up on the original VHF Radio course.  Sunday afternoon tea at East Cowes sailing club.  Really good, hope they do it again next year. Today (Wednesday) was spent putting up pictures at the Royal Victoria for our next art exhibition.  Pies tonight to launch the event.

Boat comes out tomorrow for her last scrub off and antifoul and then it's just getting last bits together and hopefully managing to get some decent sailing in before we go.

Well the weather has been awful again, so no sailing. However, we have had friends over for lunch and tackled lobster this time - well I didn't actually do it, but it was very tasty! Managed to complete one painting, but forgot to take a picture of it before rushing it off down the road to Lou to get it on the wall and retrieve some that had been on display too long.

New spray hood is lovely, and in addition we have a new Ensign - very smart!  Looks the business now. I have also been up to see Daniel and Catherine and they were well and happy.

How about that for very smart - notice how wind is blowing, actually it's worse today.

Nice new spray hood.

Ensign and Spray hood - lovely.

We have decided on a departure date 13th April, but obviously everything is weather dependant. Lists are still in evidence and every time something gets crossed off, two things get added.  Now we have agreed a date we can really start focussing on getting things absolutely ready......

Weather has been bitterly cold, but Perry's hand is gradually healing. Not managed to go sailing, but it won't be long now.  Went to a Chinese New Year party Saturday. Fun.  Sunday decided to finally eat the crab which we had bought before Christmas (it was in the freezer!).  However, didn't know what to do, so following the instructions from a You Tube video managed to successfully dismember the crustation

here's the little beauty

before

and after

Very tasty.  Off to mainland on Thursday to see Daniel then back on Saturday for the Commodore's dining in supper.

I know, I know, I know..... three weeks in and only just got roound to doing the blog! Well it's been very very cold, and now on top of that fog and ice!  I've also discovered I am a total whimp!  I went on my course for the practical part of Day Skipper, only to discover that I felt sea sick on the Sigma 38 we were on and that I really suffered with the cold.  So I abandonded.  However the sailing school very generously offered my a second hit at it, and tomorrow, prepared with new leather wellies and seasickness stuff, I will be down at Cowes Yacht Haven having another go! I took Perry to hospital this morning to finally have the operation on his hand.  Three delays so far, so perhaps they will finally get on with it.  No messages so far, so it must be progressing.  I will definitely update blog next week (!).

Christmas is over and we are now in the New Year.  Perry has had a cough and cold for the last fortnight, so it has been a bit limited here.  Bertie and I have been out for a few walks, but we did manage a couple of outings to get a bit further from East Cowes.  One of them was Freshwater

Thatched Church.  Been here before, it is very lovely.  We did go to Fort Victoria as well, but the cafe wasn't open, even though we had managed a decent walk and felt we deserved a cup of tea and cake! After Freshwater village, we went round the corner to look at the sea.  It was just before sunset and there were still people and dogs on the beach.  Perfect.

Looking West into the sunset.

Freshwater bay

Freshwater bay enlarged.

Hopefully, Perry will be better tomorrow and we can start proper messing around again.  In the meantime we have completed our passage plan for our forthcoming (hopefully) trip round Britain - gosh it's a long way! Now we are experimenting with trying to apply our planning to real data (i.e. weather!).  We have also now ordered our video camera to record the exciting event! Probably take us the whole journey just to learn how to use it! 

To whoever reads this besides Perry have a fantastic New Year and perhaps you will achieve all your planned 2017 dreams.  Take care.

Oh the weather has been awful!  We are beginning to get ready for Christmas on the boat, but forecast is looking pretty grim.  Have been doing a lot of preliminary passage planning for forthcoming trip.  Got as far as Caledonian Canal, but still about half to do, and then more detail on top of that.   The work and purchase list seems to just get longer and longer.  Daniel, Catherine and Jenny came down to see us for a couple of days.  Was really pleased to see them, but only wish the weather could have been a bit kinder. 

what a happy photo - and that's before we tucked in to the food.

Perry has now got a cold (he thinks), but that's not going to stop us having a jolly Christmas.

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, but unfortunately it's been a period of inactivity,  We had been waiting for Perry to go into hospital for the operation on his hand, but every Wednesday for the last three weeks it hs been cancelled, and he has now found out that it won't be happening at all!  NHS cutbacks....... So in the meantime we had been delaying doing anything much.  Also the weather has been a bit dull and damp, which is non inspiring. So now it looks as though we had better get on and do a few things, and with Christmas in a few days time, must get the boat ready.  We are hoping (weather dependant) to spend Christmas on the boat, so need to sort out what we are going to eat!