Mermaid’s Meanderings

[Lulu]

20 hours ago, Broads01 said:

I love this photo of Desmond, one chilled out dog.

He generally is on the boat. His happy, lazy place. As he’s getting older he’s getting even lazier when it comes to walks. 

Tuesday 10th September 

We woke to yet more windy conditions and quite a few boats leaving that must have been going south. I took a photo of the Pedro moorings for posterity before deciding we needed a more sheltered spot today so didn’t hang about and left around 8.30. It took me two attempts to get away from the quay heading due to the wind pinning Mermaid against it but we made it eventually and set off to Womack Dyke.  
 

There were quite a few spaces in the dyke so went past and turned around. The end spot became free just as we approached and Graham used the wind to gently moor up.  Rather perfect but no one around to appreciate the perfection ! Graham went off to the butchers and came back with sausages, sausages rolls, scotch eggs and bacon plus a few bits and pieces from the shop.

The moorings soon filled up and saw many boats pass then obviously finding no spaces at the staithe either and coming back past again. It certainly is a lot busier this week. I did some more felting and had a long nap in the afternoon which seemed to be a theme of the holiday.  I wasn’t feeling at all good when we had arrived but felt better over the day.  Think Kate would have been pleased to see the ranger going off to do some gardening;) 
 

The temperature dropped considerably in the evening and we gave in and put the heater on and Desmond snuggled into his blankie. Probably a good thing to test it anyway before we start our winter cruising. What a difference from the weekend when we were so hot we had the fans on overnight.  Ludham butchers sausages , baked beans and new potatoes for dinner, bit of tv and asleep by 10.  
 

[kpnut]

I love that mooring spot on the end. 
I wonder where he was going mowing. The other day they had a ride-on on mower down there and I did ask jokingly if that got taken around on the boat too. 

[Lulu]

Wednesday 11th September 

Oooo it had been a chilly night and woke up to lots of condensation for the first time but it was a beautiful morning. Thankfully we had extra blankets on board and very much needed.  
 

We set off at 8 back down the Thurne and turned right. Waved at Mouldy on Moonlight Shadow en route.  Plan was to have a longer cruise to top up the batteries so carried on to Horning. There was a little Mermaid space on the staithe so nipped in between two other boats. One left and we pulled back but it suddenly got a bit chaotic and I wanted to leave as I didn’t want to be meerkating all day but soon found out everyone was staying so we decided to stay also. Now everyone was was settled, we hooked up to the electric (94p left on the meter 😁) 

I was feeling a lot better today so took Desmond for quite a long walk (for us) around the village and then popped in to look at the craft fair on the hall. Some stunning paintings on feathers were tempting but I resisted. 

I finished my felting project and for once didn’t have an afternoon nap. There were some heavy rain showers on and off which was helpful as I could wipe Mermaid down once more in between them to get the final dirt off. I know when we come back in a few weeks time she will be filthy again but I do actually enjoy cleaning boats! 
 

The phone and tv signal were very hit and miss all day but it seemed to settle down in the evening weirdly.  Heating also went on again until we went to bed. 

[kpnut]

8 minutes ago, Lulu said:

Heating also went on again until we went to bed.

Me too, and it sent me to sleep! 

[Smoggy]

21 minutes ago, kpnut said:

Me too, and it sent me to sleep! 

The temperature I hope and not the exhaust fumes.

[CambridgeCabby]

Probably some of her delicious blackberry liqueur as well

[YnysMon]

I just love that photo of Desmond sleeping on his back in his blankie. He looks so content . 

[kpnut]

10 hours ago, Smoggy said:

The temperature I hope and not the exhaust fumes.

I couldn’t put a 😄 to that really. 
 

9 hours ago, CambridgeCabby said:

Probably some of her delicious blackberry liqueur as well

And none of that imbibed last night. I had to have my wits about me this morning. 

[Lulu]

Thursday 12th September 

Left Horning in bright sunshine at 815. I was glad to see the Ferry Inn is being repainted white instead of what I’ve always called nappy brown. 

As we went along squinting from the sun, Graham suddenly remembered he’d bought some reflective window film and proceeded to put it onto the windscreen. We are not having our names stuck on or getting fluffy dice! But it certainly does the job. 

We exchanged waves with Mouldy again as we made our way to Boundary Farm.  We were very happy to see it totally empty.  It is definitely one of our favourite spots.  A sailie joined us along with two other boats who double moored for a while until they went back to Herbert Woods.  No one else joined us and the sailie which was surprising considering how busy it had been all week. 

We had all sorts of weather over the afternoon, sun, wind, rain and hail , a rainbow but by the evening everything settled down and was lovely and calm and dry with a beautiful sunset.  I then read about the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights so once dark, went outside and got all excited to see a green light moving. Graham came out and said I was looking in the wrong direction , duh, and it was a search light 🤭I’m now curious to know what that was all about. Anyway I changed direction,  didn’t see the Northern lights but captured a photo of the plough before retiring to bed. 


 

[ExSurveyor]

26 minutes ago, Lulu said:

As we went along squinting from the sun, Graham suddenly remembered he’d bought some reflective window film and proceeded to put it onto the windscreen. We are not having our names stuck on or getting fluffy dice! But it certainly does the job. 

I have recently done the same. I did suggest our names but was told I am too old to be a boy racer, apparently we are more On golden Pond these days.

I have an unused pair of fluffy dice if you would like them 😁

[Bikertov]

1 hour ago, ExSurveyor said:

I have recently done the same. I did suggest our names but was told I am too old to be a boy racer, apparently we are more On golden Pond these days.

I have an unused pair of fluffy dice if you would like them 😁

Somewhere I have a used set of Fluffy Dice, that were first installed in my Capri, and later on transferred to my XR3i

For some reason, my OH made me get rid of them when we first started going out. In hindsight, I should have seen the signs then ... 

[Lulu]

I’m changing my mind and think I need to get a set of fluffy dice. Got the perfect spot to hang them from. The handle that pulls back the roof 😁

[CambridgeCabby]

With your talent you could make some Mermaid shaped hanging “die” out of felt 

[Lulu]

48 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

With your talent you could make some Mermaid shaped hanging “die” out of felt 

Oooohh what a fab idea!!  

[Lulu]

Friday 13th September

We unfortunately had a very disturbed night due to Desmond being out of sorts and faffing about. No idea what was wrong, maybe a bit of tummy ache or something but he wouldnt settle and kept pacing despite letting him out a few times. Eventually he settled and we got a few hours sleep.
 

 We set off at 7.30 to go to Marina Tech for a pumpout and top up with water. It was the most beautiful day for cruising.  We decided it was easier to go into Marine Tech and turn Mermaid in the ropes. The blindside isnt helpful combined with her starboard crab in reverse.  She’s very easy to turn on her ropes compared to Luna.   Marine Tech will possibly be closed for pumpouts at the end of October for the winter due to previous years flooding which they hadn’t experienced before. The gentleman showed me where the floodline came to in the shed where the machine is kept.   So maybe worth a call beforehand to see if they are open.  
 

We then made our way up the Ant. We kept dithering about whether to have another night out or go back to the marina and do a few maintenance bits and bobs.  We just came around the corner approaching Irstead and were met by a load of youngsters in kayaks across the river. Bless, one got in total muddle so I held station while they all sorted themselves out and then saw Irstead staithe was about to come free but we decided to carry on.  We got back to the marina late morning and got on with the tasks we wanted to get done. I took Desmond for a slow walk around the marina grounds which he really enjoys.  A constant procession of Richardsons boats were doing their trials in the afternoon so it looks like another busy week ahead on the rivers. 
 

All in all a lovely week.  It was very busy. Mixed weather which we enjoy. Still cannot believe last Saturday and Sunday I had a fan on all night and then most other evenings we’ve put the heating on and got out the extra blankies. It was certainly a week that turned from summer to autumn.   Hopefully back on board in a few weeks time for a weekend and a whole week in November which we are really looking forward to as Mermaid is such a cosy boat and we missed out on Autumn/Winter cruising last year.   Now getting through the piles of washing ..

 

[SwanR]

Beautiful colours on your photos Sam. 

[Lulu]

Thank you Jean. Just so lucky with the glorious weather (most days)

[addicted]

Lovely photos and interesting write up as usual , thank you Sam.

 

Carole

[YnysMon]

Hope Desmond is feeling better.

[Lulu]

He’s absolutely fine now. Its a mystery what was wrong but it was most unlike him so we can only assume it was tummy ache.