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I slept in for a change and Diana made the morning drinks after which I ran the engines to charge the batteries and enable the refrigerator to keep working. To Ely Market Square for coffee after breakfast and then some spares, another lifejacket and navigation books from Ely Yacht Chandlers and then lunch out that the French café. I managed to fix the helm indicators tonight and started to plan our sea trip which may be for Thursday of this week
I slept well and Di was first up to make the drinks on after which I had to run the engines again to allow the refrigerator to keep working. We all went into Ely after breakfast and had coffee in a courtyard off of the market square where we shared a table with a real fen tiger who was very chatty and friendly. He was from Littleport where the locals are up in arms with the new vicar. I went to the Ely Yacht Chandlers and bought some spares for our other toilet, another lifejacket and navigation books. I know the proprietors very well and the husband and wife team were celebrating 20 years of marriage.
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After another early start, I checked the weather to check for our proposed sea cruise soon and then ran the starboard engine for a while as the hot weather was taking its toll of the domestic battery and the refrigerator had given up for lack of power. After breakfast, we walked to the town centre via the launderette in Chesterton again and there had a nice morning coffee in a café there.
Then downstream on The Cam, stopping at "The Plough", Fen Ditton, for a very pleasant barbecue lunch before downstream past Popes Corner and on to Ely for water and to take Diana to the cinema at the adjacent "Maltings" and we watched and thoroughly enjoyed the film "Search for Red October" whilst the children watched a video on the boat, not a stone throw away
I was up at again at 6.00am but there was no forecast on Radio 4 and I deduced that the programmes are different on Sundays. I did get forecasts on Radio 3 and then Broadland, however, and it seems that I might be able to plan the coastal trip for later this week. I ran the starboard engine for a while as the hot weather was taking its toll of the domestic battery and the refrigerator had given up for lack of power. I wrote up more of my log in the meantime. Once we were all up and had our breakfast, we walked to the town centre via the launderette in Chesterton again and there had a nice morning coffee in a cafe situated in the new complex that has been developed recently.
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After a very early start we set off to avoid the heat, before a cool easterly breeze later cruised pass the Fish and Duck at Pope’s corner and turned up the River Cam, locking through Bottisham and Batesbite locks until we moored on the Jesus Green part of Midsummer common. Then we walked to meet Di's family (Mum, Dad and Sister) in Eaden Lilley's for coffee and later rendezvoused at the air-conditioned Pizza Hut for lunch.
We purchased a toasted sandwich maker, went swimming in the open air pool and then Daniel took Debbie to see "Back to the Future III" as I wrote up my logs and Di walked along to Chesterton to do the washing in the launderette
I was awake before 6.00am and we had set off by 6.20am. I was at the helm after a quick start and took turns with Diana because Daniel stayed in bed asleep until 8.30am. We had set off early to avoid the heat and it was a nice cool cruise as a result. We passed the Fish and Duck and then turned up the River Cam and locked through Bottisham and Baitsbite, which are now free of lock-keepers and tolls, and easily worked with their electric mechanisms. Debbie joined in the task of steering as I mopped the decks. We went right up to Cambridge and moored at the Jesus Green part of Midsummer Common by the open-air swimming pool at 10.30am as the cool cruise ended with a temperature of above 80degF. We walked quickly into town for we were to meet Di's family (Mum, Dad and Sister) in Eaden Lilley's for coffee. They had taken a large table right next to an air-conditioning set and we tarried a while and cooled off in the process.
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After making up with Diana after she had felt unwanted and not needed yesterday, we all had a cooked breakfast at the "Harvest Bakery" which cheered her up and then I managed to move the boat round to Waites Quay and rigged up a sunshade whilst Di did some shopping. Dan met Jason there and, after lunch, we set off in mid-afternoon.
Through St Ives lock, a tight squeeze, and then on through Brownshill Staunch and Hermitage Lock after which we cruised along to moor up at The Twentypence Inn for dinner with Paxton Princess coping with the shallows of The Old West river well. A slight breeze made for better comfort but it was so warm and still tonight that we left the boat hood down tonight for the first time
There was quite a scene with Diana on she woke up insisting that she was going to pack her bags and go home as she felt she was not wanted or needed on the boat. I persuaded her that this was not so, and we made a fresh start at trying to manage an acceptable routine for both of us. We only got going at 8.30am as a result of all this and so I suggested that we all had a cooked breakfast at the "Harvest Bakery" and we thoroughly enjoyed it and it helped to cheer Di up. The I managed to move the boat round to Waites Quay and, whilst Di did some shopping, I rigged up a sunshade on the boat and it was needed as it was another very hot day. We met Jason Chambers in St Ives with his new car and this kept Daniel occupied for a while. We also stayed in St Ives for lunch and then set off in mid-afternoon and locked through St Ives lock.
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