A Pig in Poo-Poo...and other tales

The phrase "Happy as a Pig in Shit" conjures up a number of mental pictures - to me at least.  I think of a large pig on a hot day wallowing in a cooling mud puddle before a long snooze in an afternoon breeze...hence a HAPPY Pig.  I'm sure other people will have similar, or not so much, visions.

The reason I bring this up is that's exactly how Mr G is at the moment.   HAPPY as that pig.  Or, now that we're at sea, I guess I should start addressing him as Captain G (although that sticks in my throat a bit - too many years fighting the glass ceiling in business I think).  This is what he looked like on the sail up to the lake on Sunday....

Captain G in Blissful mode.

As I staggered off my bunk below - still suffering a sick tummy - I saw this vision of bliss.  There he was sitting on the back seat, his transistor radio headphones blaring in his ears.  I knew the radio was loud because the autohelm was beeping wildly to say it was off course which is what made me get up.  He didn't hear a thing!  He was totally in another world staring out to sea and clearly in his element.

I don't think I've seen my husband so happy in a long time.  This adventure is the fulfilment of a dream he's had for years and years.  Mr G has read every cruising magazine, book and story going and, given the chance (even though he is certainly a man of few words), he will talk about nothing else but cruising.  I'm so happy for him.

Day 2 started with a cup of tea and vision of our first night's berth in the daylight.  We hadn't been to or seen the Lake Mac Yacht Club before Sunday night and - let me tell you - coming along side the facility with only .05 depth under the keel was hair raising in the dark.  But, as usual, the morning sun showed us we were in a safe and pleasant place. 

Alongside the LMYC marina.

We cast off from the pier early and headed for our destination over the next few days - Marmong Point Marina.  The marina, I guess you could say, is the birthplace of Southern Belle.  After 18 months in Bluewater Cruising Yacht's factory in Cardiff she was loaded on to a very big truck, driven to the marina and lowered in the water for the first time.  That was pretty much 2 years ago exactly ... June 2011.   What a day that was!  I arranged for a celebrant to perform an official naming ceremony.  Our friends Jenny and Keith made the drive up to the Lake to join us as did the whole Bluewater factory, David and his family.

Southern Belle arriving at the water on her birthday.

So now we're here again at Marmong Point.  Yesterday, Monday, we spent washing off the salt from the sail up and getting the boat more organised.  I read somewhere that the last few days of preparation for a big cruise is referred to as 'marina madness'.... there seem to be so many jobs to do and things to buy and things to load on ... that it all becomes quite crazy.  I agree. 

Last night we had a lovely couple - Bruce and Thelma - over for drinks that turned into dinner.  They live aboard their hand built classic - and very small - wooden boat here in the marina.  Bruce is a radio expert and had worked in Misima - the main island in the Louisiade Islands - for a while.  He brought over some charts and great reference books and we talked well into the night.   All in all a terrific night with new friends.  I LOVE the socialising bit of this cruising caper!

Today David is coming on board with a mechanic.  He wanted to check the engine before we start the trip.  I know he loves this boat as much - if not more - than we do and he wants to be absolutely sure she is as perfectly sound as she was built to be.

I'm off now for another cup of tea.  More later.