It’s been a while… a short update on where we are, what we’re doing…

Portuguese: Laurie has been learning Portuguese in order to qualify for Portuguese citizenship. She started when we were in Ponta Delgada. Without citizenship, our stay in Europe is complicated by visa issues – so much so that Laurie went back to the US at the beginning of November and didn’t come back until mid January – having taken the language test up in Boston’s Portuguese embassy. SHE PASSED!!

Unfortunately, it appears that the whole application process is so long winded that it may not help our stay in Europe, so she’ll be heading back to the US again in March – just so that we can stay in the UK a little longer and explore Scotland.

Generator: Having finally got it out of the boat, I sent the alternator part away to be re-wound. First company gave up. Took it to another – they gave up too. Apparently they can’t find out what’s wrong and so don’t know how to fix it. This alternator is not made anymore and the generator supplier (Nextgeneration) has switched to an Italian alternator. To fit it to the engine,

I needed all sorts of mountings and fittings. I ordered them all from next gen (in the US) and ended up flying out for Christmas to pick them up and bring them back. The alternator I bought direct from Italy… End result: after 3 months staring at half a generator in the cockpit, I finally assembled it, got it back in the boat and lo and behold it works!

It was nice to spend some time with Laurie while I was back in the US too!!!

Celtic Cruise: We’ve taken on organization of another sailing cruise for the OCC. The Celtic Cruise will start in Wales, go to the Isle of Man, on to Ireland then finish in Scotland. We’ve already got 15 boats signed up for it.

 

A couple of days ago we moved off Toodle-oo! and are now living in a lovely old house near Cockermouth just north of the Lake District. We’re here for the whole month, looking after the place while the owners are holidaying in New Zealand. It’s a big spot, very comfortable, with an Aga which Laurie is starting to learn. They have a dozen bird feeders outside – our major task therefore is to keep them all filled with seed!

The house is within sight of some of the northern lake district peaks – currently powder coated with snow…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toodle-oo! will be hauled out next week and her mast removed for servicing and so that she can fit into a shed, where we’ll have Coppercoat applied to the hull – a longer lasting antifouling solution. With any luck it’ll last up to 10 years… While she’s out, we’ll give her some TLC with a wax and buff plus all the usual out-of-the-water maintenance projects…

Meanwhile we’ve had some lovely walks around the Lake District and Dales…