Today was going up on the railway day. In his typical cavalier fashion, Dave hadn’t consulted tide tables or anything as mundane as that, but had nonetheless decided that we would take our time about getting done the things that needed to be done, + going up at about 4 in the afternoon. It was only when Buddy came around while we were eating breakfast, + told him that it was high tide now, so if we were going to do something then we should do it now, that Dave decided – to use one of his own expressions – to move his arse. Various little jobs were hurriedly undergone – making some props to slot against the sides of the boat + hold it vertical, straightening some nails – + we were ready to go. Val + I were sent round to act as welcoming party, one for the catwalk on each side of the trolley mechanism, to receive the ropes + help to fend the boat off if it looked like damaging itself. Unfortunately, tho’ fairly obviously, the trolley was out in the water, waiting to receive the boat, so we had to paddle out in a little dinghy. It took me a moment or two to get the hang of the paddle, + we’d drifted beyond the catwalks. And by the time I’d mastered things + dropped Val off on her side, the Crusader appeared + I wasn’t ready. Fortunately (for me), its first shot was lousy tho’, + they had to swing round + try again. This time, things went respectably smoothly – quite a bit of shouting + cursing (mostly from Dave, who gets far too worried about things) but we had her tied up securely, not leaning so’s you would notice, securely propped + wedged, + winched out of the water.
In the afternoon, we set to washing the shit off, armed with scrubbing brush + hose, so we got very wet (all except Dave, conspicuous by his absence.) Monika took a nasty fall off the platform, tho’ she survived with just a few bruises, so that left just Val + I at work. Nonetheless, we got it all done, + were rewarded in the evening with a splendid steak meal. John + Barbara were there too, + they played us 2 English comedy cassettes they’d acquired – Tom O’Connor (surprisingly good) + a Monty Python. Fortunately, since I fear he wouldn’t have appreciated them, + consequently would not have allowed anyone else to, Dave was on deck, sleeping off his usual over-indulgence in booze. A good evening.
Fortunately, my lack of seamanship seems to have been overlooked on this occasion, and the job of getting the boat safely out of the water was accomplished successfully. And, once again, we are lavishly welcomed by the wider Yacht Club family
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