General Witterings -
Crowded on Rosy

On 28th April, the Laird of Strathnaver had to go back to Scotland to appear before the givers of Army Pensions to announce himself as being alive, and hence continuing to be eligible for his pension.  So Jess the Woof joined my Fanny and me on Rosy.  They get on sort of OK together, but scrap two or three times a day.  My management theory is to keep them running around outside, so that they are too knackered to do much damage to each other.  Unfortunately, this theory was tricksy to translate into practice as the weather broke, and it rained and was cold.  I was given warning of this by a rather nice brass barometer that now graces Rosy's cabin.

Wednesday 30th April was a busy (for me) day.  James and Claire from Castor arrived, complete with James's son, who is a Major in the Royal Logistics Corps - the successors to my Corps, so we had a long chat about this and that.  At the same time, Mike and Jim from 'Island Gypsy' came for a couple of days with a friend - Graham Moody.  Yes, yachtties - THE Graham Moody.  NO!!!!!  Not of Moody Blues, but Moody Boats!  Graham has been much involved (amongst many other things) with commissioning boats in Oman - including the Royal Dhow.

Thursday was May Day which seems to be a Bank Holiday throughout the whole of Europe less the UK.  All the shops were shut.  Natalie and Tom arrived in from Hawaii (where they overwinter) to spend the summer on their tjalk (a type of Dutch barge) 'Aloha' - as they have been for the last 30 years.  They are VERY seasoned campaigners.  (And I've just checked on the spelling of 'tjalk' with them.  It is 'tjalk', but they went on to explain that their boat isn't a tjalk but an aak!!!)

On Friday, I got down to some engineering works.  The Kelvin engine water pump has been dripping a lot, so I was replacing O-rings and fibre washers in the hope of stemming the flow.  In the evening, there was a party on 'Island Gypsy'.  Mike and Jim had brought an English party set with them - cans of Directors bitter, Scrumpy Jack, sausages, bacon and pork pie in the main.  The remaining French liveaboards in Briare were invited, and a good time was had by all.  Giles got pretty legless, and could only exit 'Island Gypsy' with the help of three or four friends.  He made it onto a nearby boat, to get stuck into his favourite tipples (Pastis and/or red wine) and surfaced late, but looking surprisingly healthy, the following morning.

The party would have had a few more attendees, but for the fact that the canals are now OPEN.  VNF have finished the repairs at Chatillion sur Loire ahead of their forecast, so all those May holidays are now back on.

Come Saturday the weather cheered up considerably, whilst on Sunday there was a big brocante (like a car boot sale) in Briare.  I was looking (in vain, as it happens) for ribbon and lace plates.

That was the week, that was.

Toodle pip!!

Bill