Crane Out

Dad's final day off (for the moment) so we get the treat of 2 walks, the first being a normal walk to get ourselves out from under Mum's feet at (workday) breakfast time. Then Later Dad must take his car to Standard Quay in Faversham and walk us home, leaving the car there so that when 2CV Llew goes to move his boat from Oare Creek to the Quay they have a car at either end to retrieve cars by (if you get my drift). The plan is to bring Llew's boat, Kestrel, to Iron Wharf for her annual crane-out so she can have her bottom scrubbed.

On the 'drop off the car' mission we get walked back past the SB Cambria's new moorings and very splendid she looks too free from her trusty lighter dry-dock and bathed in morning sunshine. Haggis is wandering past in this pic. The other two pictures are of the Kestrel, one motoring down Oare Creek towards Faversham Creek, and the other in mid crane-out.

The Cambria's refloat is believed to be going on Meridian (ITV South East) news tonight at 18:00. Look after yourself.

Deefski

Old Glory

We dogs are firmly convinced that Dad is entering the official ranks of "old gits" when he buys a copy of the steam traction engine magazine "Old Glory". Wannabee Fred Dibnah? He claims that it is only because this month's edition has a five page article on the SB Cambria restoration, but I'm not entirely sure I believe that.

Never mind - fair play to the old boy, another day off using up 2009 hols, so good news for us and we get a good walk in the dry but bitter wind. We park at the Three Mariners pub in Oare (a good pub if you're passing this way) http://www.thethreemarinersoare.co.uk/ and then walk down the lane to Harty Ferry. Here we head east along the sea wall then back along the Oare Creek path to the car. It's a chance to see the Hollow Shore and the Shipwright's Arms (another good pub!) from across the creek (main picture) and for Dad to hunt down some more old dead barges.

The Old Glory mission is really just a distraction while waiting for the garage to MOT Mum's car "Timbuktu" (don't ask) - it passes the test no problem but the whole show is running late, so we have time to kill and time to wander into Smith's. Not us actually, obviously - Dad.

Dad also gets a chance to mow for the first time up at the allotments, and finally gets fed up with the mower being pathetically under-powered and "hunting" really badly, so that gets taken to local mower-doctor for repair and service, plus a new blade. The allotments are getting treated to a new hard-surface path where the grass (and more often mud) public footpath goes through, and the contractor is also rolling some spare road-scalpings into the carpark. We shall be so posh we will have to charge for parking!

Hope tomorrow's as good

Deefski