One of two Huntress on the Thames, including a boat that was the governor or Bermuda's offical barge I think.

Might be Hugo McGowan in his Huntress with new Cummins motor, at leats 2 Fairey boats in the pageant.

Dawn Huntress is Hugo.

Midnight Blue is a chum of mine, they called to say they had a space after the initial refusal, as it happened we had planned a trip to France so I said to the chap to call Midnight Blue, cracking boat.

Well, the boat went back in the water on tuesday morning.

a small bit of leakage throughout the day. No need for the secondary bilge pump, the usual one easily handled it. started off the day doing 1 minute on, two minutes off. Ended the day doing 1 minute on, 10 minutes off.

Mum and Dad are going to check on it tomorrow, no phonecalls from the marina, which would have only been for bad news.


Good news really.

I'll get some next time I'm down.



On the subject of stripey blazers...


Mum and Dad looked in to another boating club with moorings on the Severn. Apparently it was lovely, the people were great, the clubhouse had a lovely atmosphere (and had a picture of my parents boat on the wall from when she was in wartime service), the bber was cheap and the food was great. The price wasn't too bad and my parents were all ready to sign up when they heard that the one steadfast rule that the club had was that from 4pm on friday to closing time in the bar on sunday, Blazers had to be worn with light slacks.



Apparently the rule is there until two of the old boys pass on and then it will become a bit more sensible.

It seemed to my parents (I'm in full agreement) that a blazer was more important than a community spirit.


Shame really.

Crikey, nearly a month has passed...time for an update, things have been a bit slow on Playtime, we went off to France on holiday for a week (700 miles in a morris minor, 60 bottles of red), since then the weather has been patchy to say the least.

The spare engines I bought had alternators on them that required remote regulator units which took me a while to work out, so I borrowed the alternators from the original engines, one of which promptly went up in a smoke, I thought I had made a wiring error causing the smoke, it turned out I had the wiring correct, they were a bit sooty and oily inside. Both have now been cleaned, serviced and tested and are charging fine.

Port engine required a replacement starter motor and a raw water problem to be fixed.

Both engines now run, both charge, both pull through copious quantities of raw water, both tacho’s work, some of the gauges work, some need looking at.

Still a few bits and bobs to do, but hopefully a test run next weekend.

Well, yesterday was a pleasant cruise down the severn from Upton-on-Severn down to gloucester. The boat was moored in Gloucester docks overnight and my parents moved her down to her new moorings today.

A little bit of confidence has been gained and a lot of lessons learned.

Just about finished Robin Knox Johnston's box going round the World ----- Click

Fascinating the survival and the inventiveness he showed in his voyage.... patching the hull whilst underway, caulking underwater, to breaking some Nav bulbs to melt out some solder to then let him solder the Mic on the VHF

It is indeed.

Launching off the shore is much nicer since they installed sewage works a few years ago - no longer have to dodge the turds and feminine hygiene at high water

Indeed, a great book, very humbling. My copy was bought by my parents as a Christmas present for my grandfather, a treasured possession.

He lives!