Some days things just don't work out

In amongst all the work we have had the occasional trip out just to keep our hands in.

Sadly the last trip wasn't an outstanding success, as the picture shows. We set off in a roughly northerly direction and about 4 miles NE of the Tyne, the engine failed. There was a strong off shore wind and we were drifting in the general direction of Holland, and towards the main channel into the Tyne.

I'm no diesel engineer and the brute didn't seem inclined to re-start so I called Humber Coastguard, who in turn called Cullercoats Lifeboat.

Its all been said about the RNLI and the Cullercoats guys were top notch and hence the photograph thanks to tyneships.co.uk, and of course many thanks to RNLI Cullercoats.

On the refit front the electric winches are all installed and working and make life much easier. I used the ones on the mizzen mast to enable me to fit the radar scanner. So now we are fully equipped with radar, which on first sight seems a very capable little set - a JRC 1500.

Next on the to do list is the stern cabin and we are waiting for the estimate from ABC for the changes and that more or less completes the job.

And then we can go sailing!