With the hull nearly complete and the crew well through the painting job on Sailing Barge Cambria, the talk is turning to the refloat date. Back in the water for the first time in 17 years! The plan at the moment is dependent upon high Spring Tides which are due to peak on or around the full moons of Feb 21st and March 21st. The Feb ones will be used to move Cambria and her lighter / drydock to a deeper part of the Creek, where the tides have naturally scoured out the mud.
There will then be a mad month of preparation to finish making her top-sides rain proof and removing the 3-year-long cocoon of polytunnel, prior to an attempt to float her out over the back lip of the drydock on 21st March. Everyone points out, though that these 'high tides' are notoriously unpredictable and depend heavily on what storm events are going on in the North Sea and sending extra water up the Swale and then up Faversham Creek. It's going to be a tense month for the team.
Meanwhile we've had a nice relaxing weekend and some good walks. With the barge-painting job almost finished, Dad can spend fewer hours down there in his overalls and more time with us. He has even taken us one walk via the allotments; this almost as part of psyching himself up to return up there after 3 months when he's been unable to turn a spade-full because it's either been soggy wet, snowy or frozen solid. Now though it's warning and drying and things are starting to move. In our own garden we have a fine show of snow drops now, plenty of daffs poking through the ground and some buds expanding on shrubs and trees.
On the social side we had a lovely dinner yesterday with Diamond, John and (unfortunately) Rags-the-ASBO who I still do not love like I have been told I should. I am a constant source of despair to Mum and Dad as I sit up high on easy chairs curling my lip at him as he ambles about in a restless but unconcerned manner. Dogs! they say. Who'd have them?
Tomorrow spare a thought for Mum and Dad (and the Pud Lady) as the troops head for Hastings and Stamp Man's funeral.
Look after yourselves
Deefski
1 comment:
I left a comment on here the other day but it seems to have gone...... very strange
Well just so you are aware, Max has gone back...... oh well, we shall wait and see and we did all spare a thought for you all on Monday hope it all went OK
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