Second attempt

Friday 24th June - Walton to Harwich

So this is why we are proud owners of so many "spare" Vire 2 stroke engines in various states of disrepair. For a cleaner brighter carburettor!

Lovely day for a motor: our friend Sarah kindly agrees to run us to Walton so we don't end up with a car in the wrong place. She waits around while Howard fits the replacement part and runs the engine and then when all seems well, she leaves us to it and off we go.

I get to sunbathe on deck as we motor out of the Walton Channel

Howard not sunbathing

We do have a Plan B by the way in case of further engine problems - we are carrying a rubber dinghy and an outboard which if necessary we can deploy to tow or push ourselves along. Howard had this kit with him yesterday too but having seen how hard it was for Alistair to tow him with his launch he's decided on an upgrade: Sarah and Clive have kindly lent us their outboard which is 4hp to our 2hp.

Thankfully no such drastic measures are required, though it's a rather slow progress we make, we think because it's been so long since Victoria's bottom was cleaned.

Two and a half hours to cover what can only be about 6 miles, bouncy as we get out into the bay with wind over tide, and then quite a struggle to get round the corner into Harwich. At one point Howard is giving it plenty of welly on the throttle and we are still edging gracefully backwards as the current rushes round the corner towards us. A Harwich Pilot boat pauses in its work to watch us as we sneak closer and close in towards the Navyyard wall until we can almost hand ourselves along the black tire fenders and only then do we finally creep round. We wave a polite thank you for their vigilance.

Tie up safely inside the Ha'penny Pier and put the cover on for the night.

Howard's happy to have these 2 big extra fenders and hopes they'll stay all night, though this is unlikely