Afloat Again - Eventually - 3:18 PM, Apr. 7, 2005

At 7.45 on Tuesday evening and after a few anxious moments, Silkie reached her new berth in Dunstaffnage Marina.

The first little glitch came to light when I re-lashed the small stuff securing the life-lines to the pushpit. During the re-bedding of some of the deck fittings, one of the stanchions had inadvertently (yes, OK, it was my fault) been flipped over, resulting in a section of the lower line leaving one stanchion, looping up over the upper line and back down again to the next stanchion! Ah well - I won't make that mistake again, but not to worry, there is an apparently inexhaustible supply of new mistakes to be made.

The next problem was the travel hoist returning from the previous launching with a puncture but since I'd been waiting most of the afternoon (exact timing is not vested with great importance on the West coast) it was decided to press on regardless. Then the travel hoist was unable to straddle Silkie since a Newbridge Navigator had been fork-lifted into the smaller-than-standard space next door. Fortunately the Navigator is a bilge-keeler so we spent no more than half an hour listening to the hissing from the rapidly deflating tyre while it was moved.

But no matter, it was wonderful to feel Silkie afloat again while I worked up a sweat, having seemimgly forgotten how to start the outboard since the end of last season. Neil came with me when we eventually motored round to the new berth. It's a good thing that he's a big strong lad since not only had I also forgotten just how well Silkie carries her way but had, in addition, set the fenders at the wrong height, the new finger floating lower than the old one and Silkie not being encumbered by her mast or my usual half-ton of "essential" cruising gear. Manful surging of warp round pontoon cleat from Neil and prompt action from a couple of interested bystanders prevented me giving Silkie her first scar of the new season - many thanks to all.

I have high hopes for the new berth though, since not only is it a longer finger than the old one but will usually be an upwind, uptide arrival. Last season's berth was the opposite and the scene of many interesting cock-ups while I acquired the neccessary docking skills to cope. I can only imagine that I caught Tim, the manager, in a good mood when I requested a move. Or possibly my clean-living, god-fearing lifestyle is paying off at last.

Long may it continue!