Merry Christmas

Time has flown by since we moored up for the winter at Viking Marina on 29th October.  After the convenience of borrowing Dad's car last year we decided we wanted another vehicle this winter.  Gaz sourced a Vauxhall Combi van and Shaun had it ready for the road.  The little van has proved very convenient although Bess and Brinny aren't impressed by the grill which keeps them in the back.  

We've enjoyed visiting family and friends and Kev's growing 'To Do' list has kept us busy.  Apart from general maintenance work we had some modifications which will assist us in our life on board.  Simple additions included strategically placed hooks for dog leads, mooring chains, hoses etc and Kev devised a lock for the diesel cap which is a sensible precaution against fuel theft.  Kev also had a plan for the woodburning stove which had a small top that limited the size of pan we could use.  It now boasts an extension for bigger pans.  

The inverter charger which broke down in the summer had to be returned to the manufacturer but we had some difficulty finding a courier.  My searches on the internet drew a blank and on one occasion a comment  "Whoa that's a big parcel"  which was surprising.  After entering the details on another site a courier replied asking us to confirm the size which revealed my error. The parcel was 600mm not 600cm long!   The courier problem solved we sent the unit back and were very pleased when Sterling Power Products rang to tell us it had been repaired and the only charge was for the return courier.  

For me November was novel writing month and having worked on the plot before the beginning of the month I was ready to type.   50,000 words is a lot of writing and I quickly realised I would finish the plot before reaching the target.  After adding some more characters and twists in the storyline I felt it was quite an achievement to finish my mystery tale using 53,000 words.  I thoroughly enjoyed the process and will probably take up the challenge again next year.  

We returned to land for a week, house-sitting for Nic and Gaz.  This was convenient for meeting up with friends and shopping in South Yorkshire.  It was also a short drive down to see Sarah in Chesterfield where we enjoyed looking round Hobbycraft.  I also retrieved some items which Sarah has helpfully been storing in her loft.   On the return journey to Goole we had a full van and back on board stashing everything away was a challenge!

John and Cath have been working hard renovating their new boat.  Volunteering for varnishing seemed a good idea at the time but it was an ideal opportunity for a long chat.       

There are now only four shopping days left so I'll end by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year.