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HELLO! Happy end of July, a month where I have not been to the boat once... although I did go sailing on my brother's for a day! Here's me trying to keep up in the dinghy:
Anyway that changes on Sunday, when I have a few days in a mad rush to get everything ready for the dry dock in 2 weeks: acquiring paint, anodes, sanding and painting consumables, re-plumbing the shower, servicing the engine, and some basic engine re-wiring so I don't have to hotwire it with a screwdriver.
And after some work-work and 2 weddings, I can cruise down river to have the hull and engine bay sandblasted, a new deck, new weed hatch, some miscellaneous welding and a LOT of painting. I cannot wait. 😎
Then yesterday I had an epiphany: my London housing setup comes to an end in ~6 months and I want the option to stay, but I'd love to not pay London rents and a marina mooring, so I should obviously take Katona a little closer and move back onboard... I thought having a "country escape" was nice, and it has been the few times I've done it, but... work on it has slowed, and I really ought to finish it (I have once more, for the final time, made a bet on this happening by May).
Besides, I would like to save up as much money as possible... I can feel a yacht purchase brewing.
So that is the plan: hand in my notice at the marina next week, then spend as much of September as possible getting it ready to cruise down the Avon and the Severn, followed by a jaunt in the Bristol estuary and onto the Kennet and Avon. It would also be lovely to cruise through Bath where I once lived, and past the marina where I bought Katona 6 years ago (in a very different state).
That does mean getting a lot more boat done, the main one being a refurbished engine bay and fully re-wired engine (I have a completely-necessary GPS speedometer to fit).
Until next month!
- Nick