Fire break time - thanks to the nice Welsh Government

You know how we mentioned that we were not allowed to travel outside the Vale of Glamorgan except for a few reasons (like the dentist) and how we hoped this would not become the norm. Well, it didn't, actually it got worse. The rather strange devolved government decided to have a full lockdown, a bit like the one earlier this year with the message "stay at home" for about 17 days.

Such good news - have a look at BBC report

Talking to a few locals, this has as much chance of being followed and hence making a dramatic impact on the infection rates as Trump's suggestion of drinking disinfectant would.

No matter, another dentist appointment was already in the diary and it is before the big stay at home lockdown kicks in. Might be our last trip anywhere for a while, what a delight. To prepare for the excitement, we unloaded the life raft from the cradle on the boat deck so we could take it for the now overdue service. It is quite a tricky game as the cradle is engineered so when you open it, the raft falls out into the sea. Not what we wanted to happen. The raft is also quite heavy. So, the two trusty lifelines were called into service again, having propped up Anne's foot so well a while ago:

With the aid of the crane, some cable ties and another couple of straps, the raft was swung aloft and dropped onto the pontoon ready to load into the car. The initial launching it into the air is always a bit exciting, hoping that the straps are in the right place and secured so they cannot slide in either direction.

On a nice(ish) day we treated Izzy to a beach run around at Barrybados:

Lowish tide so plenty of sand to chase around on, dig up and generally enjoy. 

Back on board:

the toy got a mauling..... No idea why but suddenly it had to be dismembered.

Maintenance news:

The Dayton blower that puffs air from the engine room up around the exhaust as it goes through the galley cabinetry decided to stop working on our last little run around the bay. 

We have two spares - bought from eBay a while ago when someone was having a clear out. The only challenge is that the model originally fitted has been replaced (of course). Good news - proper ball bearings in the new ones so they might last a bit longer. Bad news - the motor housing is very different in design so the bracket that holds the fan up to the roof of the engine room will not fit on the new one.

So, as a temporary job, some stainless perforated strip was used to fix the new one in place, the wiring was modified and the flange from the original dead blower was fitted to the new one:

So, the thing is useable for the winter period whilst we work out a new bracket arrangement. We are not supposed to go to local metal fabrication shops during the lockdown. Stuff is never simple.

Locked down in Wales - but having fun, sort of

We continued to run a hospital and kennel operation. Izzy had settled in well as usual, taken over her favourite cushions and anything else that she liked on the basis of  "I look very cute so I can get away with it":

She is so right.

Meanwhile we tried to speed up the patient's recovery with home-made raspberry and white chocolate scones, washed down with prosecco:

We have no idea how that would help her toe heal after the operation but she seemed convinced so we went along with it.

On Sunday, we braved the rather busy Cardiff Bay to warm up the engines and electronics. The local sailing club was having its regular dinghy races and had managed to place the race markers such that the widest and deepest part of the bay was a no-go zone. About a quarter of the bay was available for the likes of us so you can see the bunched up tracks in the northern area as we pottered up and down:  

At least it gave the systems a work out and revealed that the cameras were not all working properly. Well, they might be but since the upgrade to the Furuno TZT2 software in the spring, only two of them want to display a picture on the TZT2 controlled monitors. The time might have come to replace the old stuff with modern IP cameras. Oh good. 

Returning to the marina we had the simple enough job of doing a main engine oil and filter change so that the big Lugger has nice clean oil in it for the "season of little use". Another Covid lockdown might make it the "season of no use at all". We fervently hope not but the infection numbers suggest otherwise.

Another dentist appointment had been booked so we used this to return the now recoverng (albeit slowly despite the food and alcohol fest she had been enjoying) Anne to her home, have a nice little plate added to the captain's gum ready for the "new tooth" impression and catch up with the intrepid Captain Rae who has featured in here many times before. He had just brought his Nordhavn 47 back to the UK from Portugal and as seems to be customary, had a bit of a pasting on the way from the weather.  We also collected a new pulley for our new (or it was when we bought it!) domestic battery bank alternator. This had taken just about a year to source - good job there was no rush for it as the swap is pure preventative maintenance....

Coming back to a life afloat again was nice. Only now with a little furry dog in tow as her owner cannot walk her for several days. Life will not be the same on our boat for quite a while and the captain will certainly not be in command:

Taking stock and dog sitting

Reflecting on the short summer cruise this year, we figured out that it was not all bad. Far from it. After the lockdown getting underway felt even more special despite the first trip down to Miford Haven being probably the bumpiest.

For the numerical types, we only ran 119 main engine hours this summer and a paltry 5.5 on the genset. However, we did manage to visit all four countries of the UK and see how they were (or were not) reacting to the Covid pandemic. We covered around 890 nautical miles at an average speed over the ground of about 7.5 knots, well above our normal speed through the water. The delights of timing trips to get tidal help (and a higher rpm run from Bangor back to Milford Haven). 

The boat behaved very well, no major issues and really only a blown navigation bulb during a night passage that was an irritant. We had a first (for us) lift at Whitehaven and the team there were very careful indeed which lessened the usual stress of seeing our home dragged out of the water and dumped onto dry land. A reminder:

Perhaps the strangest part was having an empty forecabin for the entire time. Covid saw to that. It did reduce our alcohol and food bills a little though!

We quickly settled into Penarth life again, catching up with some folks, wandering around the barrage and then into town to collect a hire car which transported us to the New Forest so we could collect our own. We saw how the Covid numbers were increasing and did not want to be locked down in Penarth with no wheels. Click and collect at Asda by folding bike would have been a bit strange. 

Anne (Izzy the goddog's owner) had a poorly hind paw. Well, big toe actually. She was undergoing an operation in a Cardiff hospital so we took on the role of Izzy sitters and post operative care. We are probably better at the former as Izzy seemed quite content afloat again:

even if she had a Fumanchu like beard going on. She was back in charge pretty quickly:

comandeering a blanket and laying whereever she chose to. Normal service resumed.... 

Meanwhile, her owner had some hind paw surgery and spent a bit of time recovering on board, with her leg duly raised above heart level as instructed by the surgeon:

although the gin and tonic might not have been on his instructions. You can see that the lifelines we have for clipping on outside when in rough weather were quite useful too despite the flat calm conditions in the marina.

One small peice of excitement was watching a little yacht head out with what looked like a very nervous crew and skipper on board only to find it towed back in shortly afterwards. Once she had been lifted out, we saw why they needed a tow:

Quite a dramatic rudder failure indeed. 

Plenty of dog walking and amusing was needed. Most of it seemed to involve throwing balls, rings / whatever for Izzy to chase, often in water:

She loves paddling but does not go out of her depth. Smart dog.

On the maintenance front, total disaster. OK, that is over-egging things but we have to try and build some suspense in this rather tedious blog you know. One of the wooden blinds in the saloon had a moment when the guide wire fitting pulled out of the bulkhead. A new length of wire was needed as the old one snapped when the "disaster" happened so eBay was our friend again. Some 1mm stainless wire, some ferrules that can be crimped up and a little while later the blind was "restrung" and duly refitted into place, as the nights draw in it will be used more and more. Pity but there it is.

Other fun activities included doing a genset oil and filter change (very very easy) and drawing up a list of tasks for this winter. There always a nice big list on on a boat. This time it is a bit more main engine focussed as we need to replace the gearbox oil cooler O rings (4 years since last done) and also the torsional damper on the front of the engine (5 years old so due now).  Such fun to come for you spanners and oily bits addicts. Such boredom for the rest of you.