Enjoyable weekend and still too much to do

We had a very enjoyable weekend though there is still loads to do. Briefly, there are still too many loose ends to tie up at work but we'll struggle through the next seventeen days.

We should really have been slaving over an ice box or some other such thing but decided to do a bit of a cruise to Fowey. We also wanted to give Audrey a chance to try some night sailing and the tides favoured a late departure so we left Plymouth at 14:30. The sailing was a bit frustrating as the wind was in the NW to W. The further off shore you went the more the wind headed you but then it continued to head you as you got closer inshore. We did our best and even got two thirds of the way across Whitsand Bay before the wind petered out. We enjoyed watching the Aries or "our friend" do the work. We still need to do some work on the Aries. I suspect that the issue is to lubricate the bearings a bit more as things feel a bit stiff but we shall see.

It did get dark before we arrived and rafted up next to the Plymouth Sailing School charter boat. A good sleep later and we headed back. The wind was behind us but very light. For a while, we were down to less than one knot but it was in the right direction. We experimented with the cruising chute but the rope on the snuffer came off and the snuffer got stuck half way up so I stuffed it down the fore hatch. Next we poled out the jib and that worked a treat. We should really have tried wing and wing being mostly dead down wind but it was easy.

The Aries was struggling so we did the hand steering - we do need to look at the lubrication but we still really enjoyed the sail and the weekend in general was also good.

Now just to get the holding tank fitted, finish the icebox and get the lazyjacks made up and fitted. Just two weekends to achieve that. Oh yes, we also have to buy a life raft as there is no point in getting the old one I bought on eBay serviced given that it would then cost as much as a new one.

The holding tank has been particularly frustrating but we now have a temporary solution where we will make up a cover to put over the end settee bit to accommodate it. No one can sit there because of the Bengco charcoal heater. And so it goes on.