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So long Isle of Wight Ferry - won't miss getting shoved over into the mud by you!
And so it begins........
It was a grim and foggy 4am when Doris silently slid out of Lymington, the sort of day that brings fear to a brass monkey's eye - remind me why we want to escape to the Caribbean?! We have been 5 years planning and preparing for this trip and the journey to Fowey was set to be our shakedown cruise. Well, despite spending the GDP of a minor South American nation on repairs and new kit, Doris decided to show us, in no uncertain terms, what she still wanted us to do for her.
We arrived in beautiful sunny Fowey with a list of jobs as long as the aformentioned monkey's arm. That old adage that a boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money proves correct, yet again - Sigh!
In the 5 years of dreaming about this I didn't at any point imagine the first day of my big adventure would be spent calling watermaker repair agents (no kind shout out for the firm who had supposedly repaired it, but you know who you are and I know where you work!) and sourcing propshaft hydrostatic lubrication pumps - stick with me guys, this blog will have you on the edge of your seats! But we did eventually find time for a cold beer in Fowey Yacht club - after a having a lovely shower of course........
Showering Fowey Yacht Club Way
A large sign outside declares "Fowey Yacht Club Welcomes Visiting Yachtsmen" and for a mere £2 they will provide 2 mins of hot water for them to become sparkling clean visiting yachtsmen. Great, we were a bit grubby amd looking forwards to a lovely motionless moment in cool streaming water before our cold beers........but first find 2 x £1 coins - wow, seriously old school. After much rummaging around Dave magically produced a single crisp fiver from his bag. Now lets turn this into coins as the shower is calling - being as according to Barclays et al, Cornwall is at the end of the known universe, Fowey doesn't have a bank any more. The knock on effect being shop keepers here horde their pound coins like a dragon developing piles on its pile! 3 shops down and no-one is prepared to take cash for anything especially if it requires them to hand over any coins as change. Cue the ridiculously expensive Grocer/Delicatessen selling delights such as jam so expensive it must have been handmade by a middle aged woman in her Smallbone kitchen wearing pearls as she lovingly stirred the fruit! After rummaging about for a while, slowly realising that shopping in this place would be more expensive than fixing a watermaker, miraculously a packet of dates was found for a mere 99p! Clutching my 4 pound coins (and the single penny) we headed for our luxurious shower.
The Great Dates of Fowey
The Great Dates of Fowey
A New Olympic Sport!
Dave and I decided we would channel our inner Scrooge and shower together (well, we have got a watermaker to fix for heavens sake!).
Soap out, clothes off and £2 duly inserted into the meter: on came the lovely hot water accompanied by a huge ticking countdown thus ensuring our panic rose faster than the lather.
To spare your blushes I will not describe what ensued, but needless to say if team speed showering ever becomes an Olympic sport we will not be wearing GBR colours! But, fresh as a daisy we retired to the bar and thoroughly enjoyed a cold beer!
Fingers crossed Mylor, our next stop, will be a little more relaxing and with less old school washing arrangements.
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