For now, our winter berth here at Royal Clarence is coming to an end in just a few hours time. Tomorrow we shall say goodbye (too many goodbye's this week) to this fabulous marina and head across the Solent to the Isle of Wight for our impending lift out on Tuesday afternoon.
As for today, this morning Dean made breakfast for five of us at home. Claire, Matt, and Charlie came to visit yesterday and stayed over. As always, it was great to see them again. Happy Birthday Wishes go to Charlie who is a BIG 8 years old tomorrow.
We had yet another car load of stuff to be loaded onto the handsome Thesee. We were a little later arriving than normal, getting here at 2.30pm. After a 3 month wait, our aft cabin fitted sheet has arrived and we were happy to be able to make up the bed. Dean produced what he called his 'First Aid Kit'... that's five bottles of Scotch plus a selection of Brandy to you and me.... all retirement gifts. "What shall i do with a drunken sailor, What shall i do with a drunken sailor".......
Here's the stash....should last a while?
Saffy spent a little time wandering around the deck. We love to see her enjoying herself but don't take our eyes off her incase she accidentally slips overboard. However, there were bags waiting to be unpacked and so we had to take her inside.
We're looking forward to getting out and about again, sharing our adventurous tales of where and what the three sailors get up to. This visit will last for 10 days and we hope to try some cooking on the Cobb BBQ.
The new cosy covers for the Cobb
Sunday 1st April… Oh, today’s the day we said cheerio to Royal Clarence. It’s been great staying here again throughout the winter months, so easy to just walk down the pontoon onto the boat and plug into electricity. We were up early at 7am because we were going to make an early getaway before the tide started rushing in to Portsmouth Harbour. However, we found out that no-one was due to take over our berth so we didn’t need to depart until around 12.30pm. That gave us a couple of hours to amuse ourselves which Dean did by scrubbing zips. Yes, I know that’s not something you expect to be doing on a boat, but it’s all essential maintenance you see. Saffy was up on deck again checking out the neighbours. Linda decided to take some photos, one of which being Dean’s new teatowel (another retirement gift… not alcohol this time).
Scrub those zips Dean
Super Saffy
Thésée has a new super duper tea towel, thanks guys
And so we made our getaway, waving goodbye to Rob (the marina manager) as we left our berth. The Ryde Inshore Rescue boat was round and about, but not in too much of a hurry so I guess there was no emergency going on. Fortunately it was a very calm day and the sea state was slight. It was approaching high tide and we calculated that we were good to exit via the inner swashway. There were a fair few boats around. Dean commented that they all had ‘gear’ on, so must be seasoned sailors (like us obviously!). We motorsailed across the Solent and ate our pre-prepared lunch en-route. We thought Saffy would be panicky but she soon got stuck into her chicken and chew bone.
... Ryde Rescuers
Back to photos at the helm again
I never say no to fresh chicken, even when i'm sailing
Approaching Cowes we navigated the Shrape Channel which saves us going right around the ouside of the new breakwater. The tide gauge said there was 4.5 metres of water in the channel, and that was indeed confirmed by our depth sounder (also known as the echo sounder). There wasn’t much around on the water in Cowes considering it’s supposed to be the most famous boating place in the world, but we did follow the Red Funnel Car Ferry from Southampton. Heading up the River Medina we arrived at our second home… Folly Reach, and will stay here for the next two nights. We thought it would be really busy being Easter Bank Holiday weekend, but it’s absolutely deserted. No furry friends here for Saffy dog then.
Angela, here's your ferry
One of the locals
We'll be here on Tuesday for our lift out
Bonsai has a new home on the ocean
Low water now at Folly Reach
Linda’s new rule is we shall sleep when it’s dark and get up when it’s light. No retirement lie-ins for Dean it seems.
Monday 2nd April… Up at 12.09am last night when the silly old gas alarm bleeped, bleeped, and bleeped again. We think it’s faulty although it’s been fine for about eight weeks. The wind had picked up and so whilst Dean was up he decided to attach the propeller to the Duogen to give the batteries an extra boost. He also repositioned some of the halyards to stop them clanking. All this in the rain wearing a life jacket and little else.
I know we’re supposed to get up when it’s light, but it was a miserable wet morning and with the broken sleep as well we didn’t rise until gone 8am. We’ve been having cereals for breakfast… we’ve ran out of eggs… how can you run out of eggs at Easter??
Saffy was an amazingly good girl and peed on the pontoon for mommy. Meanwhile Dean was cleaning bird poo from the boat, naughty seagulls. Afterwards, we had a bit of a tidy up and Linda decided to start her live-aboard exercise routine. Today’s exercise was called the Mountain Climber. Dean moaned it was rubbish, nothing new there then. We practised the 4 knots we’ve memorised, and will try a new one tomorrow. It was quite chilly so we had the heating on for a while.
This afternoon Dean worked his little socks off scrubbing the cockpit teak and the toe-rails along the side of the boat. All that nasty green slimy stuff has gone and it looks so much better already. Our only neighbour has left and a new one has arrived. Saffy pood right outside their boat.
Tuesday 3rd April… Today’s the day Thesee’s been waiting for… the big lift-out. Again it was a miserable grey windy morning, but Saffy and Linda still ventured out along the very slippy pontoon for walkies. Saffy has been so good, not needing to go ashore for two days now.
We had a bit of a tidy up and prepared to move down river to the boatyard just after midday. We were just about ready to cast off when we spotted the fully laden ‘Blade Runner Two’ approaching, so we thought best to keep out of its way. Blade Runner Two is a huge 75 metre barge that transports the newly manufactured wind turbines from the Isle of Wight to Southampton. We reached the boatyard in no time but it was a bit of a job to get onto their waiting pontoon because the wind was blowing us off, thank goodness for Thesee’s bowthruster which did an amazing job, not to mention two first class throws from Linda to get the lines over the cleats. Oh and well done to the Skipper too, of course. All secured we found out they were running behind and we had to wait until 3pm for the crane to come and lift us ashore.
While they were jet-washing Thesee’s bottom we went for a short walk in the locality, passing a garden with Bill and Ben, Queen Victoria’s Osborne House, a pretty primrose laden cemetery, and back in the boatyard a boat that was in need of some serious TLC.
Once Thesee was secured on the hard, we were allowed back on board. The sun decided to come out, the sky was stormy blue, and it was a very nice evening. We’ve been eating Dean’s incredible laser machine retirement cake for the last few days, thanks Lucy. Only a little bit left now.
I know we’re supposed to get up when it’s light, but it was a miserable wet morning and with the broken sleep as well we didn’t rise until gone 8am. We’ve been having cereals for breakfast… we’ve ran out of eggs… how can you run out of eggs at Easter??
Saffy was an amazingly good girl and peed on the pontoon for mommy. Meanwhile Dean was cleaning bird poo from the boat, naughty seagulls. Afterwards, we had a bit of a tidy up and Linda decided to start her live-aboard exercise routine. Today’s exercise was called the Mountain Climber. Dean moaned it was rubbish, nothing new there then. We practised the 4 knots we’ve memorised, and will try a new one tomorrow. It was quite chilly so we had the heating on for a while.
This afternoon Dean worked his little socks off scrubbing the cockpit teak and the toe-rails along the side of the boat. All that nasty green slimy stuff has gone and it looks so much better already. Our only neighbour has left and a new one has arrived. Saffy pood right outside their boat.
Tuesday 3rd April… Today’s the day Thesee’s been waiting for… the big lift-out. Again it was a miserable grey windy morning, but Saffy and Linda still ventured out along the very slippy pontoon for walkies. Saffy has been so good, not needing to go ashore for two days now.
Another pontoon poo bag, good girl Saffy Dog
We had a bit of a tidy up and prepared to move down river to the boatyard just after midday. We were just about ready to cast off when we spotted the fully laden ‘Blade Runner Two’ approaching, so we thought best to keep out of its way. Blade Runner Two is a huge 75 metre barge that transports the newly manufactured wind turbines from the Isle of Wight to Southampton. We reached the boatyard in no time but it was a bit of a job to get onto their waiting pontoon because the wind was blowing us off, thank goodness for Thesee’s bowthruster which did an amazing job, not to mention two first class throws from Linda to get the lines over the cleats. Oh and well done to the Skipper too, of course. All secured we found out they were running behind and we had to wait until 3pm for the crane to come and lift us ashore.
Here comes the crane, lifting straps at the ready
Walking Thesee into position
Almost there
Muck and slime, but not for much longer
While they were jet-washing Thesee’s bottom we went for a short walk in the locality, passing a garden with Bill and Ben, Queen Victoria’s Osborne House, a pretty primrose laden cemetery, and back in the boatyard a boat that was in need of some serious TLC.
Flowerpot Men
Entrance to Osborne House
Pretty yellow primroses everywhere
This one's not very seaworthy
Once Thesee was secured on the hard, we were allowed back on board. The sun decided to come out, the sky was stormy blue, and it was a very nice evening. We’ve been eating Dean’s incredible laser machine retirement cake for the last few days, thanks Lucy. Only a little bit left now.
It's all been too much excitement for Saffy
Stormy skies and sunshine
Just look at these rays coming in the fore-cabin
Cake time again
Wednesday 4th April… One thing about writing a blog is that you can just about manage to keep track of what day it is! This morning started with us asking the boatyard to re-adjust Thesee a little as we were sitting very slightly bow high and it felt rather odd for the boat to be unlevel (is that a word?). They kindly obliged but in the process one of the wooden props fell over and broke off a tap in the boatyard, water gushing everywhere. Linda was walking Saffy at the time and missed all the action. Dean was scrubbing the propeller when she returned, having already replaced the keel-cooler anodes. He’s on a mission again it seems. By lunchtime he had scrubbed two thirds of Thesee’s bottom.
The eroding keel-cooler anodes
New anode on the now shiny propellor
We had high winds today for about ten hours, with rain at times, but it didn’t seem as bad as the forecast had been. Linda would think that though as she stayed indoors. Dean on the other hand came in drenched having washed down the hull too. It’s quite odd living on a boat when it’s ashore because you can’t use the heads, which means numerous trips up and down the ladder throughout the day to visit the loos. That does mean also that you get to meet other people working on their boats and can talk about boaty stuff.
Dean reports that our rudder and cutlass bearing seem to be fine, and he’s greased the propeller and attached a new anode. We were surprised yesterday to see that the old anode was missing. We reckon they last about nine months on average, and a few weeks ago when he manoeuvred the Go Pro camera under the boat it was still there (to some degree).
Linda reports that she’s having some computer issues with the photo/video software. Oh No!!!!
Thursday 5th April… Today was seacocks day, but it started off with a problem. Dean was looking for the hairdryer to warm up the pipework for removing, and then found out that Linda had took it home last time we came. Oops, she’s in trouble.
She did a quick exit and took Saffy for her morning walk. When Dean hits a problem he always finds an alternative solution, and this time the solution was the blowtorch. He used the shrink wrap adaptor and it worked a treat. Phew. back on track.
It was a busy day in the boatyard, with two large motorboats coming ashore opposite us, one of them is 17 metres long. There were a lot of workmen about, in fact most of the boats around us were having something or other done and it was quite noisy. The morning went well and by lunchtime the two sink sea-cocks had been replaced. Linda’s favourite beanie hat came off whilst she was helping and fell into a dirty horrible puddle, so that had to be washed yet again. This afternoon was trickier as Dean was working on the engine and stern gland fittings and they’re in hard to reach positions. The work continues tomorrow.
We were treated to a lovely sunny dry day today, same again tomorrow hopefully. Here's a photo taken on Saffy's afternoon walkies to East Cowes Marina.
Thursday 5th April… Today was seacocks day, but it started off with a problem. Dean was looking for the hairdryer to warm up the pipework for removing, and then found out that Linda had took it home last time we came. Oops, she’s in trouble.
The lonesome hairdryer attachment is all we have 😟
She did a quick exit and took Saffy for her morning walk. When Dean hits a problem he always finds an alternative solution, and this time the solution was the blowtorch. He used the shrink wrap adaptor and it worked a treat. Phew. back on track.
It was a busy day in the boatyard, with two large motorboats coming ashore opposite us, one of them is 17 metres long. There were a lot of workmen about, in fact most of the boats around us were having something or other done and it was quite noisy. The morning went well and by lunchtime the two sink sea-cocks had been replaced. Linda’s favourite beanie hat came off whilst she was helping and fell into a dirty horrible puddle, so that had to be washed yet again. This afternoon was trickier as Dean was working on the engine and stern gland fittings and they’re in hard to reach positions. The work continues tomorrow.
Assembling the seacocks with PTFE tape
Two old seacocks now removed.....holes in the hull....scary
That's the first one completed
Don't they look good now these two are complete?
We were treated to a lovely sunny dry day today, same again tomorrow hopefully. Here's a photo taken on Saffy's afternoon walkies to East Cowes Marina.
Upmarket views at this first class Dean & Reddyhoff marina
....and this is our view looking towards Cowes from the boat
Friday 6th April... We left Dean working away this morning whilst Linda and Saffy went on a walk about. We like to explore the neighbourhood and try to do a different walk every day. Today we ventured up Cadet's Walk and came across a small community garden. There was a plaque and it told the story of how (in the old days) the cadets used to walk this route from Osborne Royal Naval College down to the engineering workshops here at Kingston, and to the training vessels on the river. Two of those cadets were Edward VIII and George VI...wow!
After the walk Saffy tucked into a chewbone. It takes her a bit longer these days since she had 5 teeth removed.
Dean was working his way through the rest of the seacocks with some cursing going on here and there. This afternoon Linda merrily scrubbed away to her heart's content cleaning 10 fenders! By the end of the day Dean was battered and bruised after spending all day reaching into the awkward hidden depths of Thesee. So five seacocks are now completed, and the engine one is almost there.
Stern gland skin fitting
One of the heads inlets... make sure it lines up
Here's all the old fittings, some had to be drilled out
Engine skin fitting
7 out of the 10 gleaming fenders drying in the sunshine
It's been a nice sunny day again. The boatyard is now quiet, and Linda took the chance to get a few pictures of our surroundings this evening.
Looking along the boatyard
....and the other way
Saturday 7th April… Linda was expecting a lie-in this morning but was awoken by Dean at 7.30am saying ‘breakfast is ready’. Today’s jobs included:-
• Cleaning the swimming boarding ladder
• Touching up the coppercoat on Thesee’s bottom
• Painting the seacock skin fittings with Teflon Antifoul
• Painting the anchor bright yellow! and also the anchor chain in 5 metre lengths
• Re-adjusting the Hydrovane as it looked a bit skewiff to the mast
I admit you don’t come across yellow anchors every day, but the reasoning behind this is that when you’re in crystal clear Mediterranean waters you can see how good your anchor has embedded into the ground……apparently. And there was Linda thinking it was just another of Dean’s yellow fetish moments.
We got a bit disheartened this afternoon when Linda was changing the bed and discovered that the underneath of the new super-duper mattress had big damp patches on it! So much for that fancy dry mesh that is supposed to let the air circulate freely. We’ve never had a single problem with damp before when we had the old wooden slats. Disappointed to say the least.
So for a treat we ate out for dinner at the Lifeboat Inn, just ten minutes walk down the road. They let us go in with Saffy so that’s a big bonus. It was excellent and very busy which says everything. We think we may be back there again in a couple of weeks time with the BOA Rally.
Sunday 8th April… Last day of our week away, before we head back on the ferry to Portsmouth tomorrow. It was a pretty miserable wet day so we were restricted to what jobs could be done. Linda decided on an easy day inside, whilst Dean painted his patches of coppercoat onto the hull and keel, followed by quite a lot of rope scrubbing with his special circular rope scrubbing brush.
No photos to show today, but we'll leave you with this tiny video clip of how Saffy gets aboard whilst we're out of the water. Bless her.
• Cleaning the swimming boarding ladder
• Touching up the coppercoat on Thesee’s bottom
• Painting the seacock skin fittings with Teflon Antifoul
• Painting the anchor bright yellow! and also the anchor chain in 5 metre lengths
• Re-adjusting the Hydrovane as it looked a bit skewiff to the mast
I admit you don’t come across yellow anchors every day, but the reasoning behind this is that when you’re in crystal clear Mediterranean waters you can see how good your anchor has embedded into the ground……apparently. And there was Linda thinking it was just another of Dean’s yellow fetish moments.
Can you see us coming?
We got a bit disheartened this afternoon when Linda was changing the bed and discovered that the underneath of the new super-duper mattress had big damp patches on it! So much for that fancy dry mesh that is supposed to let the air circulate freely. We’ve never had a single problem with damp before when we had the old wooden slats. Disappointed to say the least.
No we didn't wet the bed!
So for a treat we ate out for dinner at the Lifeboat Inn, just ten minutes walk down the road. They let us go in with Saffy so that’s a big bonus. It was excellent and very busy which says everything. We think we may be back there again in a couple of weeks time with the BOA Rally.
Sunday 8th April… Last day of our week away, before we head back on the ferry to Portsmouth tomorrow. It was a pretty miserable wet day so we were restricted to what jobs could be done. Linda decided on an easy day inside, whilst Dean painted his patches of coppercoat onto the hull and keel, followed by quite a lot of rope scrubbing with his special circular rope scrubbing brush.
No photos to show today, but we'll leave you with this tiny video clip of how Saffy gets aboard whilst we're out of the water. Bless her.
Thanks for being Thesee Followers. Back soon with more Adventures xxx
