Getting the audio visual kit working properly and more doglet sitting

For those of you with good memories (and for those who bothered to read earlier blog posts), you might remember that the audio / visual system update got a bit messed up by the old B&O speakers. They refused to behave, giving a permanent background buzz when powered up. So, they were disconnected and left as useless adornments for the summer cruising season and we listened to the nice new TVs through the less than nice TV speakers.

To rectify this, we arranged with the Maricom guys to replace all the original speakers with some neat new KEF kit. How to get it done? Well, Paul and Dave from Maricom smoked their van down the M4 to Penarth and once more, dismembered the boat,  to run new speaker cables this time:

This picture gives you an idea but doesn't show where the overhead panels were stashed whilst the work was underway. You can work out that as they needed to remove all the panels from the saloon, then the pilothouse, then the main cabin there was not too much free space on board. So, the crew stayed in Toddlerville and the captain was ultra-fortunate to get a berth on Malaspina - the other N47 moored in Penarth. The only downside was that the owners, Martin and Inge, were away so the captain was "billy no-mates". However, he was kept busy sorting things out for the Maricom team and generally pottering around.

Our boat is pretty warm in the winter by the way - you can see the insulation placed above the headlining panels which helps a lot. The windows are double glazed (the only N47 built that way) and we have a big 12Kw diesel boiler to keep things toasty:

Whilst the crew was camping out and shuttling between the two boats during the day, the crew was being fed and watered in Toddlerville. Izzy the dog was in residence too and decided that Mr Toddler's lap looked good:

Naturally when she saw the camera, she wanted to hog (or should that be dog?) the limelight so she moved strategically:

The Maricom team fitted the new speakers (4 in the main cabin, two in the pilothouse, 6 in the saloon, 4 for surround sound, a centre speaker and a sub-woofer). The sound quality via the amplifier was impressive as was the available volume. It was quite fortunate that the crew was not around when we were trying out the amplifier's capabilities. It is also a good job that Nordhavn cabinetry is ultra-solid as the sub-woofer really gave us some good vibrations. The smaller speakers fitted in well:

Once the work was completed  (speakers, new signal splitter, and rewiring the flybridge follow-up lever), the Maricomers escaped back to the Hamble and the captain headed off to collect the crew. Izzy looked unimpressed at having been abandoned by him:

but she soon thawed out. We then headed back to Penarth, ready to introduce the crew to the new technology, a different remote control for getting some sound out of the system that is huge:

with a load of buttons that need a degree in Yamaha amplifiers to operate. We are still at GCSE level and will probably remain there. 

Maintenance News:

Not a lot really. The captain's sore shoulder prevented any heavy duty stuff from happening. So, we just acquired some filters for stock and some coolant ready for the main engine swap that is due when we lift out in the spring.

Only 2 years late - off roading and Stratfording

For Anne's 50th birthday, we had planned an off road driving day, followed by a long weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon. Naturally things could not go to plan. The first booking was cancelled thanks to covid, the second thanks to the crew having a bad back, the third thanks to the Eastnor Land Rover centre deciding to close for the day we were booked in. Amazingly, considering what a **** year this had been all in all, the arrangements worked out this time.

After arriving at Eastnor and raiding their coffee and biscuits, we thought that things would be a bit tricky as Anne falled  the first challenge rather spectacularly. She struggled to get the seat adjustment sorted out in the Defender and needed some support from the instructor:

The day improved dramatically afterwards though, with some great forest sections of mud, rock, water and tree roots to avoid. Just what the car can achieve on road tyres is truly amazing. Some of the man made obstacles were fun too - like this 40 degree "ladder" climb where the traction control has to manage the wheels on the stepped areas to keep us moving:

You can see the concentration in the driver (Anne's) eyes before taking on the challenge which the car just ambled up quite happily, under novice driver guidance.

In the forest areas, we were shooed off by a very aggressive Reeve's pheasant who has been known to attack the instructors when they stop to open the gates to "his area":

The Defender can manage water up to 90 cm deep. There were plenty of  muddy watery areas on the forest trails but  you see things better in this man-made area.  It was kind of worrying to see how far up the car the water was - in the carefully placed mirror. (It was 1/3 of the way up the doors but our feet stayed dry):

We thoroughly enjoyed the day, the lunch, the conversation with our excellent instructor Rob and seeing just how capable these cars are. The setting is pretty special too, in the Eastnor Castle estate

After overnighting in Great Malvern, we headed to Stratford-upon-Avon with a little lunch and walk stop at Evesham. Lovely town, good riverside path and a couple of nice coffee stops. The Old School cafe is as quirky as it is good. The "ecclesiastical area" looked great in the sun too: 

Stratford was a retail therapy session for Anne (lots of Xmas present shopping), a double Rohan jacket purchase for us (poor credit card). some chilling and three special meals out. We went to the rather special Loxley's restaurant twice (yup, it was that good) and had a lazy Sunday roast lunch in the One Elm. By pure coincidence, Tina was also in Stratford that weekend with relatives and so we had the chance of a brief catch up since they ate at the same pub for lunch. All most sociable.

Things were rounded off nicely by visiting the Royal Shakespeare theatre on the riverside, sitting upstairs and enjoying a glass of fizzy stuff looking over the town and river. It just had to be done:

Back in the hotel, thinking that a rather good few days were coming to a close, we had message from Bernie, who you've come across in these ramblings many times before. He was driving home and saw the road signs to Stratford. Knowing we were there, he diverted to see us so a walk, together with Beau his little dog, down to the famous actor's pub the Dirty Duck was needed.

A very sociable and enjoyable few days after the various cancelled or messed up trips we had attempted earlier on. Much needed too.

A thankfully quieter, canine focussed time (except for the weather)

Departing Hythe and toddlerville, we were amazed to see that the repairs to the culvert and bridge leading into Hythe marina must be nearly complete. We saw the digger removing the shuttering and earth barrier that had been protecting the working area from flooding. This repair work had only begun in May of course..... 

On the way back to Penarth, we stopped off for a most convivial coffee and cake with Anne, Izzy the dog's owner. Anne brought along one of her greatest admirers:

who is a bit large to be the lapdog he believes he is.

We headed back to Wales with a small brown furry thing on the back seat of the Defender. The small furry thing just had to be taken to Barrybados for her regular beach fun:

on what was a beautiful day too, with Barrybados itself looking most appealing:

A little dog cannot go to the beach every day of course and the walk around the barrage with a chance to chase a ball and other dogs is also pretty high on the happiness stakes. On the way we saw a huge (for Cardiff docks that is) fast ferry in there. Not at all normal. Then John, the local photographer who has kindly provided images for us before, sent through this sequence of her arrival into the commercial lock. A couple of tugs were helping move her stern as needed:

bearing in mind that her beam is 26.65 metres and the lock is only 27 metres wide. Oh yes, quite a squeeze. You can see the poor little fender hanging down the side in this picture. We feel quite sorry for it:

They managed to thread the needle rather well:

and get her fully into the lock:

Apparently she will be laid up in Cardiff for the winter season when the Irish sea traffic and conditions don't warrant a fast cat service. The economics of that service would be interesting to work out!

Typically, the nice weather and happy dog walks in the sun could not continue. Storm Ciaran was rapidly heading in with some truly horrible conditions forecast in the English channel. The 10.3 metres in this image refers to the expected wave height just off the channel islands and the red colours give you an idea of how unfriendly things were going to be:

For non-boating folks, waves 10.3 metres high (with quite a short wavelength too) is something we've never seen in any channel weather forecasts. When we crossed over and back this summer, the waves were more like half a metre in height and very nice it was too. The Penarth area was pretty calm by comparison, in the nice blue bit well tucked up the Bristol Channel. 

So, whilst the channel coast and especially the channel islands had a pasting, we sat on board, put up with a bit of "rock and roll" from the wind gusts, some heavy rain showers and not much more.We were lucky. Around our home, there was quite a widespread flood warning:

and a river flooded the reservoir / water treatment works for the area so 18,000 houses in total were without water for a couple of days. Funnily enough it didn't make the main news on the TV or in the press but when fewer homes were impacted for way less time in the "Guildford / Godalming stockbroker belt" it was hot news. Clearly our area is expendable.

Once the weather calmed down, it was back to life as usual, amusing the doglet. She especially loved another Barrybados trip but this time with Moxie the Fox Red Labrador. Despite a significant age and size difference, Izzy did not give up chasing her or the ball. She was happy to pick up anything that Moxie dropped too:

After all that exercise, she deserved a chicken treat:

The couple of weeks of dog sitting seemed to go by very quickly indeed and the crew's step count seemed to upset her competitors in the "Fitbit weekly challenge".

Maintenance news:

Well, not a lot got done really. We had the Sub-Zero man come to check over our fridge/freezer unit and it got a clean bill of health. We did a few bits and bobs on Malaspina, the other Nordhavn 47 here to help Martin and Inge and got someone in to look at the work involved in recovering our headlinings. Some of the glue holding the foam to the boards / vinyl is beginning to give up the unequal struggle with age.

The captain had plenty of maintenance though. A sore shoulder was taken to the osteopath three times and then, on her advice, to a consultant who specialises in shoulders and elbows. Looks like a tendon is torn so there is an MRI and X-ray looming to see how good / bad the damage is. All related to a fall when walking the little dog in Penarth back in February, focussed on her and not paying attention to a raised paving stone, Grrrrr. 

A final thought. You are a ghoulish lot. The last post with images and videos of the Benson fire had twice as many reads as a more "normal" (if ever any of this stuff could pretend to be normal) posts. The nicest interpretation is that you were worried about us. The reality is probably something else. Perhaps we simply know a bunch of pyromaniacs.