October 2009 - Confined to the Solent
Posted at 7:57 AM, Sunday, October 26, 2008
Land side activity has led to us choosing to stay here in the UK until next spring and most likely, returning to the UK also for much of the back end of 2009.
The new home we've found (that we will renovate so as to get to a point we can leave it locked up when we head off again) is now the subject of planning permission. If it all goes as we hope this winter will see it crawling with builders, and next year will see a New England style home arising on the spot..........
Business is booming - due in part to the credit crunch. So despite my 'retirement' status I've found a a role to play in assisting that accelerated growth. It is all good - not desert island stuff but allowing us to build on our investments at an eqaully accelerated rate. So sad eh that we can't have both.........
So off road cycling has become the exercise of choice to try and keep the fat off.
Both of us hack off around the forest most weekends and some weekdays. Have already joined both the London to Brighton event with 30,000 others, and me even doing an 85 miler London to South coast off road event last month. That last one proved absolutely bloody knackering. Hardest physical thing I've ever done in my life. Need a new lighweight bike. Need new legs also.
UK sailing has proved really sad this summer in spite of us being located in the so called British sailing Mecca of the Solent - with the lousy weather continuing to deteriorate as winter fast approaching.
We've had a few weekend weather windows where we've slid away to Cowes and enjoyed blowing away some cobwebs.
Two weeks back we carried pals Paul and Patti over for a RYA Cowes Muster - a collection of some 30 crews all wishing to join short courses on a variety of marine subjects. Paul enjoyed his splicing and we both took power boat handling. Nice to play away parking up someone else's big flybridge 42 cruiser in the tightish conditions of Cowes Yacht Haven.
Nahh. Does not mean sails are due to be replaced with power, simply nice to try something new.
The girls even completed a Power Boat 1 Course, so are now wating thier certificates by post. The weekend got wrapped up at a party and dinner at Royal Corinthian Yacht Club - good event and if others are considering going in the future, we'd recommend you go.
Swagmans looking as good as ever. One benefit of not sailing her out is time for tender loving care. She certainly does not look to be nearly 5 years old - sitting up all shiny and clean in the horrendously expensive berth down the road.
We've had a few Sunday sails just out and over to Cowes and or Yarmouth - really extended pub cruises to find a psot for lunch. Really do need to try and find more to do on the water or the combined mooring fees plus what seems like more regualr maintenance costs might make even me wonder why we invest so much in the boat.
Had a big shock last week when the hydraulic backstay adjuster siezed up. Apparently totally corroded inside. New one upward of £800. Bugger me. Are they really meant to give up each 4 years?
Will see if we can't insert something more solid and reliable like two big bottle screws instead. I can always crank those down if conditions get really tough - and they'l be a lot less likely to go wrong.
Re animals and pets - Sue's sorted a loaner pony she takes delivery of next week to roam the paddocks behind sharing the space and the stables with Rob and Lou's existing horses. They are 16+ hands - Sues little one is around 14. He should help keep her busy.
I've also kinda adopted a building role on the homestead which I'm actually enjoying also.
Louise and Rob have purchased 5 chooks and left it with me to design and contruct a chicken run. I took my base design from the movie of the same name. So far it's looking pretty cool but I'll tell you more once the first eggs arrive. If they don't do so inside 20 weeks - its going to be chicken dinners all round.
Next years sailing plans?
We've scratched our heads on this as there are so many variables now coming into play. New home. New horse. Business rocketing.
I think what with a few ski trips in Europe after Xmas, then maybe taking up an offer to spend a week in the Carib with some US pals on thier yacht, plus prepping to head off across to Holland and the Baltic - we're going to be quite busy up to August.
Why cruise north away from the sun? Guess whilst we've visited Holland and Scandawegia landside many times over, we've never really spent a lot of time there on the water. So it kinda makes sense whilst we've got the boat so far north, to do this trip - especially in what we see as a 'short' year.
And then maybe back to the UK for the fall, then winter 09 and more skiing, then maybe we can look to go for longer and slide off south back to the Med spring 2010. Maybe aim for South of France or even back to Croatia.........
Guess it will depends on how old we feel then, how much bigger we really want the business to be (that kind of sucks one in - but have wonder if it should at our ages), plus whats happening on a family and home front.
No worries, whatever we end up doing is sure to be good.
We wouldn't do it otherwise, would we?
And as regular readers will know, these plans are always made for changing..........
You all take care
JOHN
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