Cleaning Day

We had a slow start to today although we had quite a long agenda of things we wanted or needed to do before we set off back home for the next few weeks. However, Mike was feeling a little under the weather (acid reflux breaking through once again - happens two or three times a year) and even more reluctant to make a start!

Events - see below - also meant that it has taken until now to face up to giving a report on what happened.

We usually divide up the work roughly into outside - Mike and inside - Christine. Things were proceeding reasonably well until late morning by when Mike had removed all the dirt from the roof and was about to give it a final rinse before turning to the sides.

Alas, his attention slipped as he made his way along the gunwhale to tackle the chimney stains so that he slipped and dropped vertically into the marina water (which, fortunately, he had already noted as being a lot cleaner this year) A cry for help rapidly attracted Christine's attention and she passed Mike a rope to hold onto whilst she retrieved the life ring from the cabin so that at least he would not sink without trace.

She then recruited a nearby boater who tried valiantly to help Mike clamber out from the water at the stern and onto the pontoon. This proved incredibly difficult and one of the marina staff joined in. Although the height of the pontoon above the water level does not look very much, when you are lacking in strength anyway it seems a mountain almost too far to climb. (Ladders out of the water are quite sparse in this marina)

Eventually, by angling the rudder to the right place Mike was able to gain some purchase and, with assistance, eventually roll himself flat onto the pontoon! Fortunately nothing was broken and only later was a small scrape to one elbow discovered.

Needless to say, we were all a bit discomforted by the experience. However after thanking his rescuers as profusely as possible and then having a shower and finding dry clothes, the work of cleaning was still waiting. Although the roof was finished, there was obviously no time to tackle the sides. In any event we had already concluded that trying to do them from our normal short pontoon was not realistic and that we would have moved the boat to a better full length edge. They will have to wait until a later return visit.

After lunch the greater priority was to make sure that the drainage gutters around the semi-trad stern were clear of leaves so that any rain will not end up in the bilges.

We were a bit disappointed in how much water had collected in the side section of the engine bay so out came our 12 volt small movable pump. Alas, although it extracted one bucket full of water it then gave up working (buying a new one is a priority before next trip) so it was back to the mopping with an absorbent rag! Slow but feasible and most the the water under the engine itself was also removed. With the stern tube tightened and greased, Hopefully the boat will be safe in the hands of the auto bilge pump.

Meanwhile, Christine had done a great job cleaning and packing inside so that by the time darkness fell we were ready and able to give up, make a short trip to the supermarket and then collapse!

The next day we were surprisingly speedy at packing the car and completing all the other things needed before leaving the boat in winter and were on our way back to Cornwall earlier than expected.