The first three weeks of March were exceedingly windy and there was no opportunity to get afloat for any sailing, however, on the Monday before my appointment with my oncology experts the wind dropped and I headed down to the creek a little after 0700 … by just before 0800, I was sailing out of the creek!
Sailing seawards after turning off the Dauntless Boat Yard by Benfleet Creek Barrier.
My good mate Christobel did not come along … she stayed and got on with the housework! I hasten to add that later I did finish the job by doing the vacuuming!
Clearing my creek I beat up to Benfleet doing long and short boards. It was a bit of a grey morning, but the sun did peek through to glisten across the waterway as I turned for home.
The following day, with good conditions Christobel wanted to come along too … packing the makings of a bacon roll breakfast and some prepared fruit, we set off merrily. I say ‘merrily’ with a little caution: I was beginning to feel a little edgy about going into hospital. yes, I know one is in safe hands (hopefully!), but I’d read all the ‘dire’ warnings about the brachytherapy procedure being filled with foreboding and trepidation so many times last year, that, quite frankly, I’ve not delved back into the info since…
Ah yes, a tasty bacon roll was handed to me…
We had time to have our breakfast before departing and the bacon was soon sizzling under the grill – a bit of a treat! Meanwhile the boat was readied for sea.
Christobel hadn’t been ‘up west’ towards Benfleet for a little while so Whimbrel began a beat west, again! We did ‘cheat’ a bit passing down the narrower waterway between ‘The Benfleet’s’ bank-side and creek fore/aft moorings, but what the blazes… Nipping forward to look back up the creek soon after our turn (leaving Christobel in charge), I took a quick picture!
Looking aft…
The boat knows what to do, so it kept on going … good job for the mate was otherwise engaged. I have to say, in her defense, I’d given no instruction, even though she was aware … but we know our boats wiles. I have been ‘told off’ for this in the past … but as I say, with her long keel…
Ah yes, a relaxed mate!
It was a grand sail together, I vowed to myself that I would be afloat again in a week … Christobel even offered on the Sunday just gone, but I considered it a little early – I must be growing up!
It was a tranquil sail, less wind than the previous day and much more in the way of sunshine. Along the shoreline there is a definite ‘greening’ of the saltings: spring seems very much in evidence. But my time was running out, and I enjoyed a last coffee while re-coating a couple of areas of varnish work to build up coats before heading ashore, together…
A welcome coffee…
On the Wednesday, I was driven to hospital by Christobel … she was able to stay with me until the moment I was ‘taken down’ and was there minutes after my arrival on a ward some 5 hours later…
Ah yes, a post-op cup of tea…
Things are gathering pace and I’ve attended a ‘seminar’ on the next stage. Next appointment looms with the radiologists to do a dry run and get set up – I have to be marked with three tattooed dots which will be used as reference points for the machine…
I’m just pleased that the first stage has gone well, actually second, for the hormones are the grounding stage. I seem to have come through in a far better condition and frame of mind than I’d ever have thought possible – my sincere thanks to the oncology team at Southend University Hospital. xx
External beam radiation treatment is next … but more on this ‘third’ stage in good time.
Earlier blog link…
Ditch-crawler’s snake has been ‘tamed’, but now for the real stuff…