New Year

What better way to finish one year and start the next than with a boat trip? Thats how I sold the idea to Mary and Nate anyway. So on a cold and frosty New Years eve we manoevered Misterton out of the mooring basin and headed downstream.

This was the first time Misterton had been out of the basin since arriving here in July, one of the things I've fast discovered is having a boatyard means no time for boating. We reversed out which was a bit awkward, but it avoided pushing any ice towards the moored boats.

The trip downriver was interesting but uneventful and we soon arrived at the 'Dutch Tea Garden' moorings just before Oulton Dyke. We were joined there by friends Thomas and Hillary and their two children Digby and Celeste on the good ship 'Golden Mean'. This is quite a sophisticated steel sailing boat with twin engines and twin internal leeboards!

We saw in the New Year, as it was so flat, we could see fireworks from all around on the horizon. Due to wind we ended up staying for three nights and had a great time, with the three children getting very muddy during the day and then watching 'Swallows and Amazons' before bed.

The return trip was in calm and rain, as these shots show.

 

All in all, a great start to 2015!