Well, we've had our bottom blacked, and very smart it looks too.

Three coats of sticky bitumen-based paint. Very smelly it was - although not as smelly as the mussels that were water blasted off the bottom of the boat and lay rotting at the bottom of the dry (well damp) dock. Disgusting!

We're out on the canal again, not 100 metres from Crick marina. Yesterday and today are the "sorting out the transport" days - i.e. we have to get the bike and car back to Brinklow marina so we can set off on our travels proper - to London. This involves Clive and I driving the vehicles back to the marina, then taking the car to Rugby for errands and back to Crick, out for the night to Bedford dancing on Friday night, back to Crick Saturday morning, driving to Hollowell for a Steam and Heavy Horse Show - it was excellent (see the photos), back to Crick and then Clive taking the car to the marina, walking the 1.5 miles to Brinklow village, catching a bus to Rugby, then another bus from Rugby back to - you guessed it - Crick! Phew.

I have spent the afternoon cleaning and polishing the front (OK, bow) of the boat as it had weathered and faded. Looks very smart now.

Tomorrow we set off to meet some friends who have hired a boat for a week.

You're very welcome to come and visit wherever we are - we have a spare bed and would love to see you! (Not all at the same time.)