So, as the new year was seen in, in England, like the rest of the United Kingdoms of GB & NI, we found ourselves in a National Lockdown.
The Covid-19 epidemic had well and truly become a raging second wave. People dying had risen to over a one thousand per day and continued to rise. Hospitalisations were going through the roof, nearing the fifty percent occupancy rate.
People were required to stay at home unless taking exercise, collect shopping or had a medical appointment. There were other exclusions within the regulations…
Elite sports have been allowed as were various other things, sailing too, from a public hard. This would seem to disallow sailing from a club even though access for checking of one’s vessel is allowable whilst adhering to precautions. Strangely, sea angling has been allowed!
Some clarification needed here, surely.
Boris said, ‘take exercise’ which essentially was to be once per day and of a ‘local’ nature. ‘Local’ was never expanded upon in the rules and various Police Forces began ‘jumping on’ exercising persons!
So, other than a weekly check on poor Whimbrel, she has sat alone, probably feeling somewhat rejected!
We have walked… We have walked our local area in circles, in reverse directions and in slightly differing alternatives.
We want to go to places further afield, but…
On a visit to our club and the boat, I picked up the oars, centre board and rudder from our tender, Twitch.
Bit by bit the oars, centre plate and rudder were sanded, touched up and finally completely over-coated.
I made a batch of pickled onions, having not done so in the latter part of autumn, luckily finding stocks available.
Marmalade time came round and notwithstanding the ‘ailment’ of Brexit, supplies had come through from Spain, at the usual time.
The operation of preparation was done between us with me making the plain Seville and Christobel the dark.
In discussion with a number of people it transpired that a hyacinth helped greatly in dissipating the odours from varnishing. A lady we have been keeping an eye on gave Christobel one of these highly scented flowers for her birthday and yes, ‘my’ varnish was virtually nullified!
The weather, for sailing, was lousy, so, in many respects, nothing has been ‘given up’ in that respect, but I know that as the days, weeks and months even, go on, I will become more agitated about getting out on the water in good clean fresh air. Far, far, safer out there than doing the weekly shopping!
Finally, the last of the dinghy items was completed. What next?
Well, on my last visit to check up on Whimbrel, I changed the hatch latch onto a spare set of wash boards made up years ago to allow removal home of proper boards. These have still to be worked upon.
Next? well, I have that in hand for the near future as we canter on into February…
Do, please keep safe everyone.