From Paxton to Horning on a fine and sunny today with a cool breeze and, as Steve was not available, I met up with Daniel and Gary and we worked on his boat.
They had helped me try out the vehicle winch and it worked perfectly so should be of great reassurance in Scotland.
We still had a trip on The Jolly to The New Inn for a snack dinner and pint after I had spent some time giving Sam a walk.
I made the decision fairly early today that I should go back to Heronshaw and continue working on the boat and its charts and systems. I called Steve but he had an interview this week and so I planned to leave on my own and link up with Daniel. First the morning routine and was disappointed that Sam was spooked again by the dreaded milk float, but we still had a reasonable walk together and saw the girls off to school. Some essential correspondence, telephone calls and paperwork and then a trip into St Neots with Diana, buying her lunch at Brackenbury's and helping her by carrying some shopping.
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Back to get loaded up and, as Diana left for "Keep Fit" at the village hall, I set off for Norfolk. A good journey to Norwich where I stopped off at Mann Egerton to get my newly-installed Recovery Winch commissioned by the exchange of a relay. On the way I listened to the radio coverage and, despite signs of recovery, England batting collapsed again, allowing Australia to go 2-0 up in the series. On to Horning where I found Daniel already there with his Cambridge friend Gary Skinner. He had called home and found that I had left for Horning and so had come ahead to try and fix his speedboat and outboard motor. I helped him for a while and advised that the repair to his carburettor was beyond our skill and so I will help him to take it to the service agent in the morning.
We still had a trip on The Jolly to The New Inn for a snack dinner and pint after I had spent some time giving Sam a walk. The rest of the evening clearing up, settling in and then completing the task of updating my navigational charts for the last three months' corrections. A bath, my journal and then to bed around midnight quite tired at the end of the day. Daniel and Gary had helped me try out the vehicle winch tonight and it worked perfectly so should be of great reassurance in Scotland. It had been fine and sunny today if cooler as I got into Norfolk and the sun was warm even if the northerly breeze was cool.