Freddie wakes up

The sun and the daffodils are out, the dawn chorus is deafening at 5 o'clock, so it must be spring. It's almost time to go sailing again (I know there are several hardy types who do it throughout the winter - but there are limits to the discomfort that I'll accept in the following of the sport).
It's time to check things out. I know there are lovely lists in well known yachting magazines of what you should do - here's my simplified view - Are there any bits of string that look frayed? Or pieces of wire that look very rusty. Has the anchor chain welded itself stiff with rust? Did I empty the portaloo at the end of last season? Does the satnav (sorry, chart plotter) still work?  Is the gas cylinder empty? Have the flares expired? 
Check complete. 

Oops, I have forgotten the wheel bearings on the trailer.


Then there's the problem of reassembling Vagabond - where did I put the windex when I took it off the mast? Where does this piece of string fit? What about the sandwich box and the thermos. And so it goes on. 

Vagabond has been undercover in a barn all winter. I had forgotten how dusty barns can get. It's going to take several days to get her clean - I wonder if I can get the local Polish car wash to do it for me?

Does Freddie still work - at least he's been sitting in a garage for four months or so. It's time to try him out. I need something to pretend it's the sea - the Council recently provided us with just the thing - the "domestic kitchen waste bin". It's bin day, so it has been emptied - a quick wash out and it serves the purpose. After several attempts, Freddie roared into life, squirting water from all the right orifices.

Now to go sailing.


Well, not yet. Our first appointment with the wet stuff will be at the end of May, when Sail Caledonia starts. In the meantime, I need a tow car.........