Up early listening to the Radio 4 shipping forecast and planning our first sea trip together for the day after tomorrow after locking through Denver tomorrow and staying at Kings Lynn in the evening. Lunch at the nearby Maltings Café, an afternoon swim in the 85degF warmth of the Ely swimming pool.
Then the cruise down to Denver mooring nearby ready to lock through the Denver sluice at about 11.30am tomorrow morning and staying at Kings Lynn tomorrow night. A nice tea of prawn salad and, after I put the boat to bed, I sat and typed up these last seven days' journal
I was awake early on and listened to the weather forecast on Radio 4, much to Diana's displeasure. The sea trip still seems to be on for later this week as a ridge of high pressure moves east and will produce light and variable winds on one day to provide the ideal conditions for my family's first sea trip together. We swung into a good routine which we are managing lately and then Diana went shopping as I worked on the boat, taking the children up to the playground when I had to go to the chandlers. I bought a nice new pair of binoculars and some other things we need for the boat. Daniel was refusing to help me in any way today and so I had to wash the boat's decks and hull myself and then service it after the use we have put it to so far this holiday.
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We then chose to have a nice lunch at the nearby Maltings Cafe where the substantial old brick building was good shelter from the heat of another warm day. After this, we walked up to the Ely swimming pool and had a lovely family swim in the warmth of the 85degF water temperature - certainly better than Cambridge! Back to the boat, where we prepared to set sail, dropping across to Babylon first to top up our diesel and water tanks. The cruise down to Denver went well. The weather was sunny and warm again, but the breeze with the windscreens down made it very pleasant. I surveyed the bridges etc as we went for the logs and also made telephone calls to the Denver lock-keeper and other contacts. It seems that we will be going out through Denver at about 11.30am tomorrow morning, staying at Kings Lynn tomorrow night and then cruising round on Thursday if my plans come to fruition. We found a good mooring near the water supply at Denver and Di prepared a nice tea of prawn salad which I enjoyed. After I put the boat to bed, I sat and typed up these last seven days' journal.