18th May

A day to be idle, again!

We are staying put today, as Graham and Carolann are hiring a car today and going on a trip, until tomorrow. As they were not being picked up by Enterprise until 12.30 ish, we were invited on for a coffee and chat.

Did all the usual duties and went on a short walk, with the dogs to the Village shop and Post Office. We needed to post some letters and cards to grandchildren and friends, we bought some milk and returned to the boat.

I then had another look at the tiller/rudder to see if I could get it to drop into the bearing on the skeg, but failed, even with the help of the guy on the next boat. I told him I was thinking of taking the boat to a boat yard in Garstang and if he new of one he could recommend. Yes he could and he gave me their number, I phoned them and yes they could lift and hold the boat on a crane, for forty minutes and the help of one man, on Friday morning, all for one hundred pounds. He suggested that it would help if I undid the four bolts, on the deck fitting beneath the tiller, to speed it up.

This is about 4 p.m. A thought came to me, that if undoing the four bolts would help on Friday, that it might help now. The spanners came out and I got the bolts out and yes, I could lift the tiller and rudder easier. Then on went the waders and into the water I went and with the help of Jo on the counter, lifting the tiller, we managed to get the foot of the rudder on to the edge of the bearing on the skeg. With feeling with my foot I could tell which edge it was on and then a push and a shake and feel with the foot, it wasn't long before it dropped into the bearing. Put the bolts back in and the job was done. The good old waders, recommended to buy by Graham, saved the day again and one hundred pound.

On this day in 1980 St Helen's Volcano erupts, in Washington.