19th to 25th March. We arrive on board Njord

Before leaving home, we had been watching the weather forecast for days, and it did not look promising. We would be arriving at Diksmuide station at 7.45 when the weather man was promising that the temperature would be -5C with a wind chill factor of -12C.  Usually we walk from the station to the boat (20 to 30 minutes) but this time we chickened out and, even before we left home, I arranged for a taxi to meet us at the station.  Thank goodness!  It was bitterly cold.

Inside the boat it was -2C.  The first thing we did was connect the gas and light the burners on the cooker to provide some very welcome warmth.  Wrapped in as many layers as I could manage and still actually move, I walked to the supermarket for basic essentials.  Just my nose and cheeks were exposed and they ached in the biting cold.  Thank goodness I didn’t wait for Ian to get the bike off the boat – I think the added wind chill would have given me frostbite!

Fortunately that was as cold as it got; Tuesday was warmer but also windier so not much better, but on Wednesday the wind dropped, the temperature climbed to 8C, the sun came out and it felt positively balmy.  We set to work scrubbing the green winter grunge off the decks.  They really were a sorry sight and needed a toothbrush to tackle the tight fiddly areas.

Also on Wednesday Ian picked up the bike trailer he had ordered.  It is a folding/collapsible trailer, small enough to fit under the aft bunk but big enough to carry 45kg of goods.  It has already done valiant service carrying jerry cans of water to fill our tanks (the water supply on the pontoons have been shut off due to the freezing conditions), getting a new gas bottle and a trip to the supermarket to buy the heavy stuff like boxes of wine, fruit juice, potatotes, etc.  A wonderful addition to our cruising comfort.

On Thursday it rained.  Nevertheless, we took a pootle down river to Nieuwpoort to buy the annual cruising permit.  It was pretty miserable going there and Ian steered from the internal steering position but in the afternoon the weather cleared up and the drive back to Diksmuide was really rather pleasant.

The first opening bridge - Tervaete

Very wintery

Glad it's not us up there

Grey river, grey sky, not a leaf or bud in sight

This weekend is “work weekend” at the club.  All members are required to put in a hour (minimum) of effort and elbow grease to spruce up the club for the coming season.  Ian spent 2 hours pressure washing the pontoon.  Again it was cold, windy and miserable.  But Saturday it turned glorious again!
Today, Sunday, we will be leaving Diksmuide and starting our Spring cruise.  Hooray!