Here is Hestur at the pier, floating again after a scrub and paint!
So, We are back on-Board, and now feeling well acclimatised again, to life on Hestur.
We drove down last Tuesday (21st May) in a hire car after a full day of packing, organizing our affairs and saying our goodbyes. My dear studio colleges had organised a gathering at lunchtime for me and had bought some exquisite, delicious cakes and a bottle of bubbly which we had at the communal couches in the studio- a fine farewell, I was really touched to have this send off and to have made such a connection with studio 3C !
Bristol has been a really fantastic chapter. We have met so many great people who have become close friends, even after this short time, and we have many happy memories of our time there.
We saw Ruth and Martin (Dan’s Parents) too on Tuesday. They were coming past Bristol on their way north to back to Shropshire. They very kindly helped us by picking up some of our possessions – for storage: Skis! and some items from my studio. We had a meal with them at the Nova Scotia, a really nice pub down at the Underfall Yard, where happened to regulars of a Friday afternoon after work!
Then leaving Bristol behind, with a fully laden hire car we drove south to Falmouth. It felt like quite a wrench to leave, as if we had been there for a lot longer than the 6 quickly passing months over the winter. Emotional to say goodbye to so many friends and places we had got to know- but indeed exciting to be on the move again!!!!
We arrived down to Falmouth so late on Tues that we had missed the ferry boat service to the moorings, or indeed a lift from any passer by… so we slept in the car.
Next Morning we “woke” early, to a fine day and headed down to the familiar High street to find an open coffee shop. We then spent the morning unloading the car / stowing the boat, and in the p.m. while we still had the car, we drove down towards the Lizard to drop off the life raft for a service.
The next couple of days turned out pretty shabby: Northerly winds ( Cold!) and rain, not an inspiring reintroduction to Hestur.
Over the winter Hestur had grown a great mane of kelp, weed and underwater foliage we had never seen, so on Friday we dried her out on the pier by the Bosuns Locker Chandlery in Falmouth- for a scrub and a paint. It was another horrible day but we were sheltered behind the pier wall and dry underneath Hestur’s flat bottom!
We had bought Hemple “Dove White” anti-foul as it was on offer x 2 tins. When it came to painting her “Dove white” turned out a rather pinky/ parma violet hmmm… We got one coat on before discovering that we had left the other tin in Bristol. Tim Start is coming down this week though so he will bring it and we will bring it and we will dry her again this week for that second coat.
We decided to stay an extra tide against the wall as it was absolutely horrible at 6 pm when we were floating again, so we left it till the next morning when it was blissfully calm. She looks very smart again with a new paint job and teh “Dove White” has now settled into a rather tasteful warm gray. Much better.
Saturday was a nice day – jobs aboard am, and a cycle to Penryn to drop off Dan’s dive gear for a service pm. Sunday was a scorcher! there was a Boat Jumble up at the rugby ground which which yielded a new 35lb CQR, a chart, spare rowlocks, rope a French courtesy flag, a quarantine flag and some chips . We then spent a very happy afternoon in the sun in the garden at friends house : Barnaby and Catrina, a cycle home then out again to meet some people in the “Star and Garter”, Great music there too, and a row home under a fabulous moon. Today was yucky! we were aboard all day doing jobs, then moved off the mooring ( as we had run out of our paid up period ) and into the anchorage . We are now in the most wonderful pub , which we were told about last night, in Falmouth called Beerwoolf . Its a bookshop and apub all in one, great atmosphear , it has a feel of Iceland about it.
Lots of Jobs still to do in Falmouth while we are here. There is a Regatta this weekend and friends arriving at different stages to stay and sail. We are thinking of setting off early June, will keep blog up dated
Cheers Charlotte
http://www.beerwolfbooks.com/
starboardlocker 
Hello dear Charlotte,
At last I have caught up with this most recent posting. I had thought I had read it already as you had mentioned some things while we spoke on the phone – nice pubs and so on. It is really good to read it all, and it reads informally and very personally, like a diary, and therefore will be very good to keep as a record of past events and feelings and to be reread by several forthcoming generations – I hope!
I’m pleased to hear about Hestur’s haircut and scrub and polish, and also to see in the photograph that ‘HESTUR’ the letters are still legible. Did it look as though the paint was withstanding the sea and salt air? Dan looks like a Viking in the photo. He looks timeless but also quietly alive and ready to spring into activity – ready to go!
It is always difficult leaving good friends and loved places, but the voyager has the easier part. Those left behind find it more difficult to live with familiarity with a gap in it. The one travelling on has the memories intact and all the new things presenting every day.
Of course, life goes on where the traveller once was, so the gaps fill up a bit and good memories are there too to keep as a pleasure in themselves.
I’m glad your time in Bristol was rewarding in so very many ways. You and Dan are always loved wherever you go. I wish you very many new happy and rewarding encounters on your trip.
Please remember to make your VOYAGE square for An Talla Solais fundraising auction. Send it asap. Your paintings look good in West Coast Open and I’ve given your new work to THE SHOP.
I hope your Regatta weekend is highly enjoyable. I look forward to hearing about it.
Love to you both,
Mum xx
Remembered to say WHITE RABBITS this morning – did you?
MUM
or was it “black pig`s tails?” Dad.
Hello Charlotte
Nice to see Hester again and get the news. Your blog gives much delight to your friends in Ullapool. Your pictures in the West Coast Open are beautiful.
John (boat with no name)