Chores, chores and more chores

Chores, chores and more chores. 

When we woke this morning it was raining and bitterly cold again.  That's because we had decided that this morning we were going to move to a free mooring about an hour away.  At about 8.30, as I was having my second cup of coffee, I got a text from Shaun saying "We're not moving today", I replied "Ian hasn't moved at all yet".  It was definitely a day to stay curled up in bed in your jim-jams, but I was already up and fully dressed at 7.00! 

Nothing of great interest to write about - for me anyway.  I'm sure Ian would have a great deal to say.  Today he started installing the 2 solar panels that were waiting for us when we arrived.  Quite a big job, took most of the day. 

At about 10.30 I ventured out to the showers, a 5 minute walk in wind and rain, to find the lady's showered occupied by a man and women, married I presume!, so I trudged all the way back again, just as dirty as I was when I left.  I didn't feel like waiting around outside in the cold and rain.  About an hour later the sun came out and put a smile on our faces.  And my second attempt at a shower was much more successful.

This afternoon we put up the bimini for the first time.

Then Ian and I went by bicycle into town to buy some new gumptious great big round ball fenders for the four "corners" (one on each side foreward and one on each side aft) for when we go into locks.  We also went to the supermarket and bought some chicken portions, pork chops and salad because we are planning to have a barbecue tomorrow evening when we get to Maastricht.  Yes, we are leaving tomorrow, it is supposed to be cold and clear in the morning and sunny and warm later.

We had a lovely sunset tonight.  Here is a photo with Elle, Lynn and Shaun's boat, in the foreground and Njord just behind it.  Both with bicycles already on deck.

And here is my bike. 

Love it.  It is a Pro-Rider E-Wayfarer.  They fold up really small and are very light to get on and off the deck.  After reading a lot of good reviews about it we bought one on Ebay and had it delivered to our home in the Azores to try it out before buying a second one.  We were so impressed we did indeed buy a second one and recommended them to Lynn and Shaun who had spent almost as much on normal bikes but Lynn, with crook knees, was having a hard time.  So on Ian's say so, they also bought two and love them just as much as we do.  They are not cheap but well worth the price.   Feeling that they should have a waterproof cover of some kind we have bought two plastic table cloths to cover them when on deck.   I was very proud of myself going all the way to the shops and back, about 6 km or so, even though I did need Ian there for moral support! Now I know I can do it I won't need a guiding hand next time.

This evening it got really cold again because it's clear and we turned on the Eberspacher heater.  What a wonderful piece of kit!  But the charger wouldn't kick in.  Ian sat and scratched his head.  The power was still coming out of the batteries and not from the charger.   He waited a while, turned it on and off, disconnected it from shore power, still nothing.  So he gave it a thump with his fist and, Eureka, it worked!  The bigger the problem, the bigger the hammer?

We fired up our National Luna Fridge for the first time (made in South Africa, designed to be used as medical fridges in outback areas and were adopted by the 4x4 community to use in the bush.  Rugged. Good insulation).  Another wonderful piece of kit, it draws almost no power.   The temperatures are supposed to rise to 18C next week so we can no longer keep our meat, cheese and salad veg in the cupboard.