April to May 2015 – Eastbourne and Dover

Our first day in Eastbourne was orientation day around the marina.  It is a large complex with many flats surrounding the marina, and restaurants to cater for most tastes.  A bridge separates the inner and outer harbours which takes you to the retail area and a cut through to a retail park with an Asda. 

Eastbourne outside the lock, low tide.

Eastbourne outside the lock, high tide.  There was a dredger present when we left and you can see from the first picture why they need it.

Eastbourne lock, there are two, which are well managed and well maintained with floating pontoons, which make the nerve wracking lock entry much easier.

Info: Excellent showers, very clean with hotel driers and a plug socket.  Approx £24 per night.  Asda close by, Lidl a much longer walk.

24th April – Friday

Walked into Eastbourne from the marina.  It takes a good half hour along the sea front.  The pier is currently being renovated, but it is still possible to walk around.  The Bandstand on the prom is the best we have ever seen and it regularly hosts events during the summer.

 

From the pier you walk down a main street which is edge to edge restaurants and takeaways, then you round the corner and find a modern, comprehensive shopping centre, with every shop you can think of.  It is well hidden and does not detract from the seafront.  We thought Eastbourne was a genteel version of Brighton, which we enjoyed very much.  We had both only ever driven through and it was worth a visit.

Followed by a couple of lazy days reading and planning.

27th April – Monday – To Dover

Early start to sail the 47 miles to Dover 07:00 to 17:00, we had 16 knots of wind with lots of sunshine, but it was very cold.  Some good sailing and motor sailing.

Sailing past Dungeness Power Station.  We have worked there in the past and it was great to pass it on the sea.  It is one of those landmarks that you see two hours before you get there and can still see two ours after you pass, so that filled 4 out of our 10 hour journey.

Then you get your first glimpse of the white cliffs of Dover.

Dover and Dover Castle

Dover West Harbour Entrance

Info: As we stayed for 11 nights in the Granville Harbour the fees were only £21 per night.  There are 3 sets of toilets and showers, which are acceptable.  The ones at the corner of the Wellington Harbour are the best and have hotel hairdryers and a plug socket.  They also have movement detectors to turn on the showers, beware of sharp movements.  There is a Co-op near the town square, a Morrison’s and small Asda in a retail park behind the main street and an Aldi which is approx 40 minutes walk.

There is a nice promenade which leads to the town centre.  We saw Vic Reeves sat in a shelter in full leathers.

We then had several days of sun and high winds, then rain and high winds, so we read, planned and I finished 3 bears.  We also have a walk every day, think we have done Dover now.

See www.handmadebyannmarie@blogspot.co.uk for detailsf

5th May – Tuesday – Bus Trip

We needed to expand our horizons so hopped on a Bus to Canterbury.  £6.50 for an Explorer ticket, but £10.50 for two people travelling together.  Canterbury is a beautiful old city.

Sadly we did not go into the Cathedral as it is £10.50 to get it.  I really don’t think you should have to pay to go into a church.

Next stop Margate.

Margate seafront and the clock tower.  There were many tankers anchored off shore as the winds were very high and the sea state was rough. 

The town centre was a bit run down, but we found out why on our way to Ramsgate as we passed a large out of town shopping centre.

Next stop Ramsgate.

Ramsgate Seafront.  There is a large marina and along the side of the harbour in the arches of the harbour buttress wall there are cafes, chandlers and several antique/junk shops which are worth a look.  We had a lovely pot of tea and cakes at the Cosby Tearoom, excellent value at just £8.30.

Next stop Sandwich.

The archway leads from the bridge into the lovely old town.

We literally stumbled across the BnB ‘The Salutation’ owned by the Posh People from Gogglebox.  It is £7 to go in the gardens and they have a gift shop.  Think they are doing OK.

We had circumnavigated Planet Thanet (pronounce Plan-It Fan-It by the locals).

I think we managed to get our monies worth out of the ticket.

7th May – Dover Castle

Several people had recommended that we visit Dover Castle but the £19.50 entrance fee was putting us off.  However Inspector Bond found a 2 for 1 deal if you had a valid bus ticket bringing you to Dover.  Go to the Stagecoach website and obtain a number which you show at the door with your bus ticket.  Excellent.

The Great Tower is great fun to explore and unlike others, it has lots of floors and each floor has many rooms and nooks and crannies to explore.  The children who were visiting seemed to love it.

You get great views from the top.  It is not a visit for people with mobility issues, everything is up or down a hill or flight of steps.

There are the Operation Dynamo tunnels to explore, where they planned the Dunkirk Evacuation and D-Day, also the Hospital Tunnel Annex, all of which are carved out of the White Cliffs.

There are also Medieval tunnels, a Saxon church and a Roman lighthouse, phew.  Exhausting but excellent day out.

April 2015 – Adventure continues - Southampton to Eastbourne via Gosport and Brighton

Early April was spent catching up with friends prior to our departure.

10th April  - Friday

We travelled to Manchester on the train to catch the Megabus to Southampton, with ‘Agnes’ (pre-named) our new trolley, kindly donated by Mick’s sister Jacquie.

While in Manchester we happened upon the John Rylands Library, which we can’t believe we have never been into before.  It is on Deansgate and we must have passed it hundreds of times.

It is free to enter and has a lovely new cafe.  The exhibitions have some really interesting and historic documents.  Definitely worth a look.

The Megabus set off from the bus station in the Northern Quarter at 5.40pm and we arrived in Southampton at midnight via Birmingham Centre and Birmingham Airport, Coventry, Oxford, Southampton Airport and then Southampton centre.  The loo was much better than expected.  It is great people watching.  One guy was killing aliens all the way whilst another got out his IPhone, MacBook and Choral sheet music and conducted his way to Southampton.

Couple of days general preparations and stocking up.

13th April – Monday

Left Shamrock Quay, Southampton for Haslar Marina, Gosport.  09.00 to 13.00, 10 knots of wind and patchy fog.  Shakedown trip, all working well.  Chippy Tea as reward.  Great Chippy called Fry-Days near the passenger ferry terminal.  Haslar Marina is quite tidal and it is worth asking for an inner berth if you are staying a few days.

The next day was so foggy we could not see the ‘Spinnaker Tower’ in Portsmouth across the river.  So decided to stay put.  It was worse than the picture below.  The fog horn which woke us was the biggest clue to stay put.

15th April – Wednesday - To Brighton

Leaving Gosport

08.15 to 17.45, 9 hours for a 44 mile journey.  The day was misty, with hazy sunshine later.  There was little or no wind so we motored all the way, only having the main sail up to increase our visibility to other boats.  The mist cleared approximately 10 miles from Brighton so that we could see the coast for the first time that day.

16th April – Thursday

Mick changed the front seal in the water pump as it was dripping slightly.

Had a walk around and went to the large Asda on the marina. 

17th April – Friday

Graham and Pauline visited as they had never been to Brighton.  After lunch on the boat we had a bus trip into town and walked the Pier, Laines, and North Laines, before returning by bus.  Lovely meal at the Floating Pagoda Chinese Restaurant in the marina.

18th April – Saturday

Mick spent the day removing the Eberspacer (Diesel Heater) which had stopped working a few days previously.  A new ECU (Electronic Control Unit) had to be ordered and the whole system had to be tested.

Graham, Pauline and Myself went into town and they went to the Pavilion.  While I had a good look around the North Laines and found a few new places including a Saturday street market on Upper Garden St, more of which later.  There was a craft exhibition in a hall near the pavilion and we met in there afterwards, then had a look around the museum.  Back on the bus and lunch before they went home.  They also have many travels planned so we will look forward to our next meet up to exchange stories. 

19th April – Sunday – Laura’s Birthday

We walked to town quite early, it’s a good couple of miles along the seafront.  We were lucky enough to happen upon the 110th Anniversary Rally to Brighton of the Austin Motor company owners club.

They look so small in comparison to todays cars.

This Rag-time Jazz band were playing as the cars arrived.

As you can see above, on our way back a few hundred more had arrived, including these vans.

We went for a sit on the Pier and Mick had a good chat to Laura from his deckchair.

We walked to the North Laines via the Town Museum which is located behind the Pavilion.  It is free to enter and has a good selection of exhibits from all over the world.

I took Mick to some of the new places I found yesterday.  The huge junk/antiques centre on Upper Garden St.  Crammed to the rafters with interesting stuff.  Then to the market underneath Brighton railway station (turn left at the end of the North Laines and walk up the hill OR turn left and left again out of the station).  I don’t think it has been open too long.

As you can see it does not immediately jump out at you as an indoor market with lots of wacky stalls.  Be brave go up the wood block steps and turn right.  They really need better signage.

We shared a falafel wrap made by the man in the right hand kiosk, which was fresh and delicious, he tempted us with a sample and we could not refuse.

Back in time to watch the Grand Prix and read the papers.

20th April – Monday

Waiting for the Eberspacer part.  Had a walk past the marina and UP the large zig zag walkway to get to Lidl (which we spied from the bus) with the trolley.

Returned and did a stock take.

Yes, I think we have enough beans and emergency tins for the trip.

21st April – Tuesday

Mick re-installed the Eberspacer with its new ECU, and we are toasty warm again.  Fan heaters are OK, but their heat is digital.

The new ECU is a Mark II variant as Eberspacer re-designed it a few years ago after many failures.  It has lasted 10 years, 1,350 hours of use, so if the new one lasts as long, or longer, we will be happy.

22nd April – Wednesday – Brighton to Eastbourne

Would have been my dad’s 90th birthday.

We set off at 10.30 and arrived at 14.30, so only 4 hours to do the 22 mile trip.  But what a four hours. 

The forecast was for 16 to 24 knots of wind, which turned into 20 to 32 knots of wind (force 6 gusting 7).  The tide was with us but the wind was against us and the sea state around Beachy Head became quite rough with over-falls, ever though we were 3 miles out to sea, attempting to avoid the worst of the over-falls.

I steered for most of the 4 hours with only one enforced loo break which made me feel atrocious.  I got back to the helm as soon as possible and did not move until we got to Eastbourne.  We ate none of our sandwiches and only had an apple en-route.

Mick did a sterling job navigating as he had to keep going below, I could not have handled that.

I had several dowsing’s from huge waves hitting the front of the boat and crashing though others, and even wearing all my wet weather gear I was soaked.  One wave went right down the back of my coat.  The ironic thing was it was a beautiful sunny day, so we were soggy, wind-blown, shaken up and sun-burnt!!

We got talking to a couple called Mike and Karon who invited us for a drink, on their Warrior 40 ‘Pelican’.  They had just arrived from Calais.  They have vast experience of sailing in the Baltic and were happy to share their experiences.  We had a good few hours chatting and swapping stories.  We hope to read their blog in the future, which they are planning to write.

Chilli and sleep.

We have Eastbourne to explore now.

W.I. Life Magazine – April 2015 Issue

Last year all Women’s Institute’s were asked to nominate people for the ‘Inspiring Women’ column in the W.I. Life Magazine.  Members from my own W.I. at Grindleton in Lancashire nominated me.

Attached are links to the article which was published today, and dropped on my doormat along with every other W.I. member.

Hope you enjoy it.

Front Cover

WI Article

Message for New Readers

The story really started in April 2014.  If using a computer to view the blog, it is easy to go back to that date using the directories.  It will be slightly more difficult from a phone.

Happy Reading, please email us if you have any questions or comments.

The story is due to continue soon with this years trip towards Holland.

March 2015 - Maintenance

I'm Off the Southampton with the car packed to the roof.  Mostly anti-fouling gear and clothes.

Boat lifted out of the water.

Always a tense time.  Our summer home on a couple of strops.

The marina guys then power wash it, to get off the mud, slime and barnacles.  Then they went round her with a sharp tool to remove any stubborn bits.

The personnel at Shamrock Quay marina did an outstanding job taking her out of the water and cleaned her more thoroughly than anywhere we have ever been before, which made our job much easier.  The whole workforce are friendly, accommodating and professional.  Even to the point of installing plugs in the showers for hairdryers on my suggestion.  We cannot praise them highly enough.

As she was going into a cradle on the land this year, she was lowered into it and then this ‘Thunderbirds’ like contraption, moved the cradle into a space on the car park or ‘hard’ as it is known.  Having a lifting keel she normally sits on her keel and rudders, this is the first time she has been in a cradle.

Normally I can just about reach the toe rail to wash and polish etc, when she is sitting on the ground, but being in a cradle meant I had to use a ladder most of the time to clean and paint the sides of the boat.

Mick’s Maintenance Moment

The first job was to change the lifting keel anode and grease the keel raising screw.  This can only be done while the boat is out of the water and hanging in the crane slings.  The keel has to be fully lowered and the keel lifting screw removed from underneath. The anode can then be changed from the inside of the boat.

Other anodes were then changed, the one on the prop-shaft, the one on the end of the prop, and the one on the rope cutter.  All were partially eroded and in need of renewing.

Three of the skin fittings and seacocks were next to be changed.  This is not a straightforward job as the seacocks are fitted during the manufacturing process and the access for large tools is very tight.  The scary thing is that you can’t really test them until the boat is back in the water.

The new parts and tools

The old seacocks and fittings

New seacock installed

New Skin fitting

As the boat is designed to take to the ground, that is, sit on the bottom when the tide goes out, the twin rudders have rubber boots fitted to them to spread the load of the boat.  At some time during last years adventure one of them had come adrift and was lost.  Two new boots at £100 each have been purchased and this was the time to glue them on.  Plenty of glue and hopefully they will stay put.

One of the embarrassing things last year was the effect of all our luggage on the boat.  She sat lower in the water due to all the weight and, whilst not really affecting the boat, was very visible as the waterline paint (blue) was very near the waterline.  A two pronged attack was required to correct this.  The first to take home everything that we hadn’t used and didn't think we would, which reduced the weight on-board dramatically.  The second, to raise the waterline paint by one inch. These two solutions leave the boat bobbing in the water correctly.

 

AM with paintbrush.  We use rollers for the big bits, but was painting the waterline here.

The keel is cast iron coated in epoxy resin, but over time this gets scratched and knocked and small spots of rust appear.  These are treated with epoxy, primed and painted before a coat of antifoul is applied.  As the boat was in a cradle this year the underside of the keel was accessible and easy to maintain.

The rest of the boat was then antifouled using rollers and by the end we had a blue bottomed boat, and two blue painted sailors (a very messy job).

Whilst Ann-Marie cleaned the back of the boat (difficult when the boat is in the water), I polished the hull and made good a few small scratches.

The boat was then re-launched and everything checked.  No leaks, the keel went up and down, and the engine started.  We moved Fleur back to her berth and had a celebratory cup of tea, a job well done.

___________________

Graham and Pauline visited and we went for lunch.

Visited Graham and Pauline at home.  We went to see Victor and Albert a comedy duo at the village hall and celebrated their wedding anniversary.  Pauline and I went for a successful shopping trip in Farnham.

Back to the boat via Reading.  During my working life I have visited many shopping centres as they are safe places to spend a few evening hours on my own, and the ‘Oracle’ had eluded me, so I think I have seen them all now.

Shopping trip to big Asda with the car to collect items which will be harder to obtain when we are without a car. 

Home 18th March

While we were away I managed to make 3 bears.

See www.handmadebyannmarie.blogspot.co.uk for more on bears.

Home and Mick continues his one man battle with the gutter.  I think he has won this time.

Went to Mick’s other sister’s (Jackie and Murray) with Annette and Julian to mend their 40 year old Hillman Imp.  Jolly family get together with all six of us and their 3 boys. 

The Hillman Imp had not been on the road for over 10 years and had been left in a garage all that time.  On a previous mission we had changed the clutch and clutch slave cylinder,

and the mission this weekend was to get the engine running.  Ably assisted my nephew Thomas, we found a spark, cleaned the carburettor, lots of gunge in the float chamber, and the engine burst (well limped) into life with an enormous cloud of smoke.  Much tinkering, adjusting and tweaking later the car was ready for a test up the drive.  The clutch, all the gears and the engine worked.  Unfortunately the braking system was a little below par.  New brake parts are now on order and the next chapter of this trip down memory lane is scheduled for early April.

February 2015

Jobs Completed

Mick changed the brake pads and the anti roll bar bushes on the mini.

Changed the immersion heater element.  It was pretty shot at and a really good save.

Went to Manchester to help his nephew Alex fix his Morris Minor ‘Hilda’.  They changed a broken valve in the cylinder head and several other smaller jobs.  They had an amazingly successful day and Hilda passed her MOT the following day.  Result.

Cylinder head with new valve.

 

Happy Hilda.

Fixed a laptop.

Tuned the piano at the Pavilion.  Jerusalem sounded decidedly dodgy at last months WI meeting and it was not the piano player.

New front tyres on the mini.

More navigation and route planning for this years trip towards Holland.

Accumulation of items for this years boat maintenance.  More of which next month.

Social

Mark’s 40th Birthday Bash at Turf Moor.  I am one of 15 cousins, so a family get together can be a large affair, hence they don’t happen like they use to.  I had a party when my dad was 80 and Mark wanted to get us all together again.  It was great to see everyone.  Facebook helps me to stay in touch with quite a few so we had lots to talk about.  Big thanks to Mark for this generous gesture, made more generous my his collection for the MS society.  His wife Laura also made him a football shirt cake with his name and Burnley colours.  Excellent night.

We made a curry for Annette and Julian.  Chinese takeaway at Paul and Marias, lovely evening with Luca and Isabella too.  Indian with Annette and Julian with their book club friends.

Went to Pendle Stitches with Liz to learn how to make Bobbin Lace each Monday afternoon.

Event City Craft Fair.  I went to Event City with Liz and Pat.  It was a large fair but not as big as Harrogate.  As a bonus there was a cake fair in the same building which we were allowed to look at.  WOW I have never seen cakes like these.  There was a competition, with may different categories and the cakes were unbelievable.

Yes these are cakes!!!

We visited Llangollen to see the Quilt-fest (as advertised at Event city).  We then went to Llangollen Aqua-duct.  Built in 1795 by Thomas Telford it is a world heritage site.  The aqua-duct is 128ft high and takes the canal across the gorge in the most dramatic way.  Quite un-nerving, must be much worse when you are steering a barge as there is no rail on that side.

Ladies Lunch.  I went to my first ladies-who-lunch lunch.  The WI have been running intermittent lunches for many years and Jan was the host.  It’s a Jacob’s join and with the usual WI precision we all managed to bring different but complimentary things.  I have never been able to go before as I was working so this was a real treat.  What the WI members do not know is not worth knowing and a new lady went home with a list of local builders, plumbers, electricians etc. including a chap called ‘Silicone Sid’, who apparently is a whizz with a sealant gun.  

Things Made

Bag for Sally.  Lloyd Loom Box refurbished.  Craft Room Chair recovered.  Summer bag for this years cruise.  Grey Rucksack for Mick.  Lace bookmark.

For details of makes and Denman trip see craft blog.  www.handmadebyannmarie.blogspot.co.uk.

Our last few days of the month were spent separately.  Mick went to Glasgow to meet up with Laura and Damian, they had a great time sampling the delights of Glasgow.  I went to Denman College with the WI Lancashire Federation trip.

March is maintenance month on ‘Fleur’ so we will have lots to report prior to this years trip.