2018 – Page 3 – SY LouLouDitsi

An Impromptu Party

On Tuesday we get up late and are still lazing about at 2pm when we hear an outboard engine and a friendly Hello. It’s our friends from Full Flight who we met on the IBA pontoon last week. (Tony was very helpful about the toilet repair.) We’d seen them anchored across the bay and they’d … Continue reading

Intermittent Showers

When we were working at Cleo, the weather was hot and dry and we made regular use of the shower blocks to wash away the grime. Since we lifted in on 2 May the weather’s been less settled – very warm, often steamy, and fairly frequent sudden downpours. These showers often don’t last long, although … Continue reading

A Toast to Sussex

Last night we heard that the Sailor’s Bar would be showing the Royal wedding. After a couple of days getting more laundry done and running diagnostics on the ship’s batteries (more to come, you’ve been warned!) we decide it’s time to connect to the outside world and we dinghy over to watch Harry and Meghan … Continue reading

A shake down sail

Yes, we went for a sail! We got the outboard off the dinghy and hoisted the dinghy onto the foredeck – after a few false starts when there seemed to be too much resistance on the halyard. That halyard is called Syd – there are 2 yellow halyards on the mast and I use Syd, … Continue reading

Story of a Mattress Part I

As a child, I loved the romance of the old folk song, The Raggle Taggle Gypsy: What care I for a goose-feather bed? With the sheet turned down so bravely, O! For to-night I shall sleep in a cold open field Along with the raggle taggle gypsies, O! 50 years on, a simple, carefree life … Continue reading

Story of a Mattress part II

On Wednesday morning, we wave Stella off for Athens and I discover that the truck missed the Tuesday night ferry from Italy, so it’s now expected on Thursday. The pontoon is full and there’s a boat booked in that hasn’t arrived yet, who will need our space. We’ll need to anchor off – probably. The … Continue reading

Story of a Mattress part III

The IBA Office have said that Richard will be able to drive us up to get the mattress. Despina, Richard’s wife who runs the Beach Bar, says that if he can’t, she’ll sort it! On Friday morning, we take the outboard off, but leave the dinghy on the bow and go back onto the pontoon … Continue reading

RIP Mick Radcliffe ‘Big Skip’

Sad news yesterday that Mick Radcliffe, another sailing chum, who I always knew as ‘Big Skip,’ died suddenly last Saturday. I remember Mick for the warmth of his broad smile and his generous hug when he greeted you. He was a good listener, a good teller of yarns, and good at keeping in touch, even though … Continue reading

Firecrackers and the Joker

Didn’t we have fun and games in the forepeak today! And a chemistry lesson thrown in! The reaction produced by applying HCl (Hydrochloric Acid) to carbonate scale in a confined space is really quite something…. At this point I have to confess to those who haven’t already guessed, that this post is about toilet maintenance. … Continue reading

Our first onboard BBQ!

Long before we bought LouLouDitsi we’d been researching different options for barbecuing on deck. In hot weather, cooking below is unpleasant and makes the cabins hotter, and it can be difficult getting rid of the smell of grilled or roasted meat and fish. One issue was fuel – gas or charcoal? We already have gas … Continue reading