A trying day it has been.
To start with, we were more than half an hour (nearer an hour in fact) late setting out from home so we caught the Friday afternoon traffic. The only consolation being that it was much worse for the poor sods going the other way.
Having rushed to get out, it was inevitable that something would get forgotten and we were more than half way to the boat and finally clear of the heavy traffic when I realised we hadn't got the boat keys.
The prospect of going back home to get them was discussed and dismissed. The North bound traffic was awful and it'd take hours. Fortunately, I keep a key to the cabin padlock on the car keys but we'd have to come up with a solution to not being able to unlock the chain securing the tender and oars to the dock.
So a diversion to Basildon was required to acquire the cheapest inflatable floating thing they'd got. Hell, I'd have asked for a li-lo if necessary but we ended up with the cheapest of the Sevylor inflatable canoes.
A quick dive into Asda stocked up the ships stores and we set about inflating the new toy (and I use the word toy advisedly). I wouldn't chance my arm in it if it was rough nor would I fancy trying to paddle against the tide but it got me out to the boat OK and once deflated stowed under the cockpit floor. It may come in handy.
We wasted no time getting alongside the pontoon and chucking our kit on board thus confirming the second thing we hadn't got - two lifejackets. There should be two on board and two in the car. We knew we'd forgotten to bring the two back that had gone home but somehow we've only got one on board.
Oh well, off to the pub for something to eat and a drink or two before heading back on board for a reasonably early night. The solution to the lifejacket problem being, once again, to throw money at the problem and pop into Burnham Yacht Harbour on the way past on the morning to visit Marinestore.
Oh and it's still soggy. It's been soggy all day. We're going it won't be soggy tomorrow
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