Last Summer

Having berthed my Atlantic 42 in Mallorca for five years followed by a couple of years in SW England, business commitments led me to bring her nearer home to carry out the minor maintenance that would otherwise require 3 hour hikes to Devon (sometimes four or five hours depending on Friday motorway traffic around Bristol).

Not since childhood have I enjoyed an English summer so much. The backdrop was the Worcestershire countryside and the majestic Malvern Hills where most weekends we found something going on. There were Folk, Jazz and Blues festivals at Upton-on-Severn, the Thee Counties Showground hosted antique fairs and flea markets as well as its famed Spring and Autumn Garden Shows. There was the Steam Fair at Welland and one could sip, responsibly, of a nectar known as Summer Lightning brewed by Wiltshire based Hop Back Brewery. Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine. On one occasion we got rain soaked in the tender coming back across the river from the village. Where did we dry our clothes? On my toasty new towel warmer.

To explain – After our morning shower my better half would drape wet towels over seatbacks in the cockpit to dry in the sun. turning the cockpit, I thought, into a laundry. Not pretty. The solution was to fit a made-to-measure low energy towel warmer in the master stateroom heads (see photo). The towel warmer is mains voltage, so unless I run the genny it won’t work away from the pontoon. However, it will be run continuously from shorepower during winter to provide a little background warmth, at negligible running cost even at marina prices. When I do eventually get back to extended cruising I might change the heating element to 24 volts and let the Mastervolt system look after things. If next Summer is half as good it will still be brilliant. Then the year after that its back to the briney.

I wish you fair winds and calm seas, and enough water on the river.

MAY 2012

Well it's now "the year after that" and our return to the briney has been delayed by the awful weather, a flooded river Severn, closed lock gates and weather forecasts for the Bristol Channel that wouldn't be out of place in October or November. Hopefully we'll be arriving at our new berth in Falmouth early June.

Kelv Pearce.
RYA Gold Personal Member

Thanks to Wilsons Boatcovers for the good job done on my new helm and cockpit covers, Wayne of Gelbrite for bringing her hull and topsides back to new, Colin my pontoon neighbour who helps keeps her that way and Factor 15 Blinds who fitted very chic venetians in soft tone black. Border Timber sourced the American cherry needed to repair a water stain - cheers John.
Now, that’s all very cosmetic but I won’t be ignoring the mechanical essentials or practical measures such as fitting another Towel Warmer to the day heads.