10th April 2013 - Sandford to Oxford (Christchurch Meadow)

Jess is safely in NZ and settling down.  So much so that she is no-longer on UK time and texted us at 5.30am.  Thanks Jess - keep them coming! :-)

Decided as we are working on the boat, that we should put the NAME ON THE BOAT.  This little item has been outstanding since we bought the boat - ahem 4 years ago!  During the winter we ordered the name in vinyl lettering from Funky Monkey Ltd. It cost - er - a lot.  So I was a bit miffed when a tiny box dropped onto the doormat containing a tightly rolled bit of plastic.  The destructions advised the stickers should only be applied in optimum weather conditions ie. an air temperature of 10 deg C or more.  Our newly purchased  thermometer said it was 9.5 and slowly rising.  As as soon as it hit 10 we went for it!

In the event we were really pleased with the final result - and the instructions were rather good too.  Kind of took the sting out of the price :-p

With Ceilidh resplendent in her new livery and sporting a natty tent on the bow, we set off after lunch the short distance to Oxford.  We moored up opposite Christchurch Meadows.  The university rowers - eights and fours were practicing and plowing up and down past us.  Their not insignificant wakes moved us around slightly, making a hideous noise as we rebounded off hidden rocks below the waterline.  30 minutes dextrous fendering and we thought we might get a good nights sleep.....

Our new livery

More flood damage