Back on board for a few cold nights

We drove over to the marina today, being buffeted by the wind all the time. The Amazon is back on the road and I wanted to give it a good run. The old Volvo presents rather a bluff profile to the wind; you certainly know it when a gust hits you broadside! The car behaved well in the wind and the rain, but the overdrive packed up as we got onto the A5D in Milton Keynes. Hmm. I hope it's the relay again ...

The marina was being whipped up to 6" waves, but the boat was remarkably stable. I retied the bow rope so as to pull the back end further away from the bank. I had to pass the rope through a side fender eye on the gunwhale to give the necessary pull. Now the rear fender won't get stuck under the rail from which the pontoons jut out. I'll have to take a photo.

Jubilee wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. The fierce wind outside blew all one's heat away, but the only wind inside was from the vents. I soon had the stove going, then we walked the mile to Castlethorpe to warm up our feet.

From the village shop we bought another couple of home-made curries to enjoy one evening, but not today as we already had a pie with us.

It hailed on us as we walked back to the boat, but it didn't last long.

We have to drive to Eastwood, Notts, tomorrow for Jan to attend a Boaters' Christian Fellowship committee meeting. Heavy snow is forecast for the afternoon. Our return journey might just take a little longer than the outward one, for which only light snow is predicted. Joy.

The central heating is now on as well as the stove, oh, and I believe Jan has switched on the electric blanket too. The luxury of marina-dwelling!

Speaking of which, we have given notice to leave Thrupp Wharf Marina at the end of March. We'll be off cruising again - an even longer cruise than last year. I haven't planned a route yet, but we'll try to get to a few boaty gatherings. We'll keep a look-out for a different home base, possibly somewhere with a few more facilities. The lack of an Elsan emptying point here at Thrupp Wharf is a bit of an inconvenience. So to speak.

Sorry about the lack of photos; I'll try to make up for that tomorrow, if we're not held up too long on the M1.