Well hello again, still in St Malo, Anne Lloyd came out for a few days last week, she bought the sun with her so we have been swimming and on the beach and drinking wine, that about sums up the week I think!

I went on the sea cat to Jersey to meet her, we did some shopping then came back to St Malo.


Now on their way here are Paul, bringing with him man flu, and Mike and Irene, they are here for a week, what the plan is I don't know so watch this space.


I think it is to get to Paimpol, there are a couple of fete de mer's on then back across to Dartmouth for the regatta maybe, we'll see.

Bonjour mon ami! At last at 7 in the evening the sun is shining, just seen tomorrows forecast, thundery showers, and we know what those are like don't we Craggs

All the boats have left, its very quiet here, one I was glad to see the back of, Mr and Mrs Boring, Paul invited them in for a drink hoping to learn about new harbours, all we got was his life story! Every time I passed he popped out of his yacht like a jack in the box and told me a bit more! I asked when he was going and he said Wednesday, force 4, quarter jib and mainsail! As if I know what he was on about!

Today I have been reconnoitering the Rance. I took a bus to Dinan, cost 2 euros for an hours journey, this shames Britain, as in the Isle of Wight we had a 10min journey from Cowes to Newport and it was £3.50 each - unbelievable. Anyway a grand cafe creme in Dinan, a trip to the market and down the hill to the river, a boat was there going to St Malo, this bit is embarrassing, but done in a good cause, 24 euros!

I have taken loads of photos for Paul so he can see there is nothing to be afraid of going up the Rance with Rowena, well marked and very wide, not sure of the depth though! Actually now I have been its not that exciting, so will be stop going on about going up there. Think I prefer Paimpol.

Time is not going too bad here on my own, hopefully someone will visit next week, waiting to see, tomorrow a long walk along the beach was planned, but if its going to rain, it may have to be shopping!

Rowena needs a good wash down, all the dust is still running off the new decks, a seagull has made a home on the front, and keeps bringing his moules here to eat, then, well doing what seagulls usually do. I have a bucket and keep washing the muck off, but its full of tiny shells and they need a good hosepipe to get rid of them.

Tizzy and Sammy in the tent!

New stainless posts.

Well where shall I begin, at the beginning I suppose, We pack the trailer with all the stuff we took out of Rowena 8 long months ago, in the car we put all the cushions, mattress's and things that could not get wet, along with camping gear as we were going to stay about a week to help get Rowena ready for the water, how naive we were, 5 long weeks later we put her in the water! All that time we worked from 8 till 5 7 days a week, lived in the tent in between with 2 dogs and terrible weather. Must be mad.

We had a list of jobs to do, but the list never seemed to get any shorter, we antifouled, cleaned the bilges, painted every space that could be painted, cleaned up after workmen the list goes on.

One question I asked myself as I was anti fouling, why am I using a 6" roller on a
42' boat apparently that's what Phil was told to use by some old sailor years ago, myself I think he must be laughing his socks now. 84ft I antifouled with a 6" roller, there must be a better way.

Anyway the great day arrived Rowena was in the water, 4 pumps pumping the river that was running through her out, 24 hours later we were down to one pump occasionally helped out by another one, not bad, now 14 days later all is almost back to normal, just a little seeping here and there. Isn't that marvelous. We had a sea trial in a force 7, this after she had to be lifted out again because the engineer had left a plastic bit on the shaft and the water could not cool the bearings!

We went up to Cowes with Craig and Karen, stayed there one night, then back to Lymington via the Needles, the shafts and bearing were checked and off we set for Guernsey!

There was fog in the shipping lanes, again, but no where else why is that? We arrived Guernsey and stayed for 2 days then set off for St Malo which is where we are now. Well I am Paul had to go back to work.

Today I walked to a different shops, and when I got there they were all closed, because it was Monday and they don't open then apparently. Unbelievable.

Before Paul left we swam in the sea pool, lovely it was once you were in, it was just the getting in, today I went for a swim, but the tide was in so no pool just the sea, and it was rough, so played in the waves instead.