Preparing to Hibernate

A day for preparing the boat for its winter hibernation. we spent the morning cleaning - Christine inside and Mike on the outside. Although we have a pontoon for half the length of the boat, there is nothing on the other side and the net boat along is too far away to use for balance. Hence it is a matter of balancing on the gunwale and hanging on!

We also cleared out the drainage channels which should help to ensure that rain (if we ever get any!) that falls on the stern deck does not end up in the engine compartment. We also pumped out some of the water that the automatic bilge pump does not deal with. Tightening the stern tube should reduce the amount that comes in that way. Christine's secret photography captured the act!

After a late lunch we walked down to Tesco along the towpath for a few items including a paper. We were surprised to hear when we returned to the boat that the Dean of St Paul's had also resigned, the third over this affair over the protesters. It does show how complex running a church organisation (as with any major charity as well) as become in a modern age. All the more reason to ensure that our organisation is kept fit for purpose.

By the time Mike had taken some boxes back to the car and we sat down for a cup of tea, we decided that we had had enough working on the boat for the day!
 
A review of our logs showed that we have cruised for 88 days this year, covering 898 miles, passing through 914 locks. What will next year bring and where will it take us?