Well another busy weekend, this time with Dave, Sian and Josh, they arrived Friday night and on Sat morning we set off to the Hamble on Rowena, the weather was cloudy but calm and we sat up top all the way. When we got to the Hamble there was room on the town quay for us, so giving all the on lookers a treat we moored up and had our lunch there. A couple we had met in Paimpol last year recognised Rowena and came to say hello which was very nice. We had a four hour stay and then came back to Portsmouth, Russell and Jon came to see us on Venture and took some good photos, they had been wakeboarding and looked a bit cold! We got back to Portsmouth at 5 and by 6 were speeding along the solent on Venture for our tea in Cowes, Josh and Dave did the driving, we came back in the dark which is an adventure and lovely to see all the lights of Portsmouth. Sunday, after we had managed to drag Paul away from his cleaning, we went to the submarine museum, it was very good, we had a good look on and around the submarine well worth the visit.

Then the nightmare started, we had to get Venture out of the water and onto the new trailer, it did not fit! Paul and Dave had to get socket sets and goodness knows what else to move the rollers and winch about, thank goodness Dave was there or you would be reading about my divorce. Any way after about 2 1/2 hours it was deemed safe enough to go, we could not go over 50mph as the car and trailer started to snake really badly, so it was a long journey home. When we eventually arrived and were taking the trailer off the car the trailer shot into the air, all the weight was on the back, hence the snaking. Monday, and Paul, Nige and John Hough all had to come and help move chassis' etc. Paul took it for a run down the by pass and its ok now, but what a palaver.

Back from a busy Easter weekend, on Good Friday we went to Brighton on Rowena with Nigel, Sharron, Jake and Lara. The weather was grey and miserable but very calm. Before we had been going an hour, half the crew were asleep! The new engine performed very well, in fact we knocked half an hour off our usual 6 hours to get to Brighton. Nigel was pleased to see all the new engines on both Rowena and Venture, hence his big grin! Saturday was spent in Brighton with lunch in the Ha Ha bar and then a walk to the beach. Takeaway chinese for tea. Sunday was a bit brighter but not much, after refuelling we headed off back to Portsmouth again with very calm seas, but no sun. We arrived in Portsmouth at 4 and by 6 where heading off on Venture to Cowes for our tea! It was going dark as we set off back to Portsmouth, but very calm, good job too as we had Jake and Lara aboard! On Easter Monday we thought we would go to Bembridge for breakfast, the sun by now had come out and it was a lovely day. On the way we saw the tall ship Tenacious looking very stately as it made its way up the Solent, and also the coastguard helicopter practising lowering a man onto a boat, all very exciting. We arrived in Bembridge at 11.30 on Venture beached her and climbed off, Tizzy and Sammy had to swim ashore, I think everyone else on the Isle of Wight had thought of going there for breakfast too, the place was heaving, no more breakfasts were being served, in fact no food at all was being served and it called itself a cafe! we ended up with a scone and coffee better than nothing I suppose. We then gave all the watching public something to look at by getting back on Venture, with dogs, kids and pushchair, and set off for Ryde to see the little marina there. Back to Rowena to tidy her up and come home, Venture is still in Portsmouth, but we will be bringing her back next weekend.

Here are Rowena's lovely new seat covers, too good to sit on. Our first trip out after all the work was to Cowes, the weather was lovely, a bit cool but sunny, it was very quiet when we got there, in fact we had a choice of berths and that doesn't happen very often. By saturday the place had filled up with yachts and it was someone else, for a change, yelling at them at 3am in the morning to be quiet! We left on sunday and arrived back in Gosport at 2pm and at 4pm the fog came down so suddenly it caused mayhem for the harbour. The engines worked well though still got hot at over 2000 revs, so Paul just pootled along as he likes to do.