Bangor and backs

Our stay in Bangor became longer than intended as the crew's back was still not behaving as it should. It liked to remind her that it existed from time to time, rather than just functioning quietly. So, we stayed in the confines of Bangor and enjoyed the area, the local hospitality (thanks Ken and Debbie for the dinner invites) and admired some of the nicer local craft: 

This was a truly minted speedboat - OK the engine was not perhaps the right vintage for the boat but all the same, most impressive.

The crew had a couple more visits to the nice local osteopath lady for treatment and she also enjoyed some cuddles in the waiting room with the family hound:

The suspicious part of the captain thinks that she simply went for more treatment to have "dog-time" but apparently this is just the result of a nasty suspicious mind at work. Post treatment, the crew needed some serious relaxation and back support:

which seemed to involve Wordle and similar puzzles as a distraction / mind improvement tool. The captain was less keen and just watched some average films between bouts of activity. These were normally cleaning seagull poo from the boat as we seemed to be too popular with the local avian inhabitants.

We celebrated a wedding anniversary with lunch out, thanks to an unexpected invite from Ken and Debbie to a  local farm shop / restaurant which was excellent. Then the captain's birthday was rounded off by a curry in a local restaurant with Keith and Ingrid (only they didn't know up front that he had become even older). All most sociable and enjoyable with an ever improving back too.

Having been "The only Nordhavn in the village" we became way less significant when Andromeda returned:

She is a rather splendid Nordhavn 62 that has been resurrected by Gareth and Lorna and made ready for sea and adventures again. We were invited on board, despite the fact that we have a small Nordhavn, treated to a guided tour and drinks and an update on their plans. Seeing her, you do realise how small a 47 is in comparison. The 47 wins when faced with bird poo removal and finding a berth, not as good out to sea in huge waves of course. 

As the crew slowly recovered, we made some plans. A large area of high pressure was heading to the UK meaning the normal south westerly / westerly winds in the Irish sea would turn to the north. Ideal for a run back south to Penarth / Cardiff. Our planned lift out in Whitehaven was abandoned as the crew was not going to be fit to climb ladders let alone sit under the boat and scrape the keel coolers clean! As the anodes were only changed last September, they will survive OK until next spring. 

Gareth very kindly loaned us his truck (Ford Ranger, can only be described as a truck) to do some shopping with and we used this to also collect our volunteer crew from the airport. Yes, Simon the surveyor came back to join us for the trip south and to sample Nordhavn style cruising. Our time in Bangor (which feels like a third home) was coming to an end.....