So, the mighty Hot Socks has a new engine...all shiny and clean, corrosion free and wiping out a whole load of headaches about the boat in one fell swoop! The team at Shotley Marina did a great job in a very short time frame, pulling strings to effectively grab the engine out from under the nose of another buyer so we could be back on the water in time for our delivery to Southampton in time for the start of Cowes week, which starts next Saturday.
The delivery itself was just about perfect, we locked out of Shotley an hour or so after low water, hooked into the flood up the Thames Estuary, with the kite up all the way down to the bottom of the Goodwin sands off South Foreland. We were round Dungeness (Or Dingyness as we usually call it, this was one rare time we went round it in bright sunshine) not long after first light. We had to knock the tide a bit around Beachy Head, with light airs resulting in a bit of assistance from the new toy (the novelty of having an engine again was not lost on us!). The rest of the trip was nicely un-eventful with plenty of sunbathing but enough breeze to sail most of it. We motored up Southampton water to be greeted by fireworks...we thought they were for us although they might of had something to do with the Clipper Round The World Race starting the next day!
After a good night's kip ashore we returned to the boat to give it a clean up, and got to watch the Clipper boats leaving, I couldn't resist using Hot Socks' top spreader as a vantage point. My money is on the New York boat, who's crew looked like they were having plenty of fun already!
I had to of course admire my favorite trainers...
....And get Katie to pose!
Lingley Out!
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