cold water and high tide

a freezing north wind and a high tide this morning, as Miss Muppet went onto her mooring – rather reluctantly.

011.jpg

the tide still coming in over the marsh

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the outboard had to be tested before she went in the water

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down on the hard, two intrepid or mad sailors on the Shokanawe (I know) catching the tide before the seal boat trips start . rather them than us.

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there are plenty of boats parked down here, spaces bagged early.

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the water is high up over the hard and shallow for at least two car lengths.

06not-in-far-enough.jpg

first try the trailer is still too high out of the water to launch her

07testingthe-depth.jpg

testing the depth

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second run and the car is right in

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hard work to get her off, and too deep for wellies

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Sal and Tilda have a paddle; the salty water will be good for her cut paw.

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the trailer is manhandled further in and she floats – Paul is in over his boots …

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the car is practically floating too …

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the skipper gets in

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starts the motor and Paul casts off the painter

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up the creek to the jetty

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a very overloaded tender goes past

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fishing out the mooring ropes on the flooded bank

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Tilda has a silly five minutes

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Sal getting out of her way, she doesn’t care if she bumps him

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T cools down after her run

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the mooring ropes are sticking and wind and tide pulling the cockle the wrong way

22shesticks.jpg

pulling on cold wet ropes is a horrible job in this cutting wind. imagine the crew of a sailing ship rounding the Horn two hundred years ago, it must have been agony for hands, and feet too.

23whatasky.jpg

a wonderful sky

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at last she is near enough to be safely left.

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Sal posing

26auntiepam.jpg

Auntie Pam waiting to go out to her mooring in the channel

27crabboat.jpg

one of the old Sheringham crab boats in the process of restoration.

well, for me, I am quite happy to wait about another six weeks before getting Minnow out.

2 Comments

  1. Remarkable — I think I’d be reluctant to drive my own car into the water like that — I’d be afraid it wouldn’t start again.

    My parents just finished refurbishing their second sail boat — really don’t know the details, will call them after this, in fact. But the upshot is that my brother and I inherited their other boat, “The Wet Kiss” — which makes me really want to get over this crud and healthy enough to learn about the subject and at least make some token effort to get it out at least once.

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