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West Country COVID diary

January

What could possibly go wrong? Once we’d said goodbye to the Christmas
and New Year visitors I pored over the Irish Cruising Club Sailing
Directions, and the complete set of charts, ready for a clockwise trip
around Ireland in the late spring. The plan was to head over from
Padstow, and then be joined at different points by my wife, Lizzy-Jane, the
dog, Rosie, and various Irish nephews. At that stage I assumed that it
would only be the weather, and the mood of the boat’s systems, that I
had to contend with. The best laid schemeso' mice an' men, Gang aft a-
gley….

February
With days getting longer, and launch getting closer, it was time to quicken
the pace of maintenance work. Osira’s stern gland needed attention, so,
attracted by the possibility of a dry boat, decided to try a shaft seal. After
many hours poring over SOA posts, and talking it through with Nigel
Chapman at my Wadebridge yard, we decided to fit a PSS Shaft Seal
steadied by an additional cutlass bearing to steady the shaft. Also sorted
out a mooring at Mylor to complement our mooring on the Camel, so
added a two-ton block of granite to the shopping list. My Camel mooring
is a great base, and I enjoy having the boat a short walk from home, but
Mylor gives easy access to many beautiful places on both sides of the
Channel, and is not so dominated by tides. The currents can be so strong
in the Camel that rowing out to the boat can be a hit or miss affair during
springs.

March
Pandemic clouds now gathering, but carrying on ostrich-like with the
launch programme. Dropped her into the Camel on the dawn tide of
Monday 23rd March, all provisioned and ready to head out to Lundy
Island to test the winter’s innovations. Heard Boris Johnson’s 23rd March
speech on the boat instructing me to stay at home. Very very tempted to
cast off anyway, but good sense prevailed.

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