Today’s blog was originally to be called “toilet humour”, reflecting recent frustrating experience.  However, a sail to Stangate Creek in the early summer sunshine has been so delightful that it seems inappropriate.  Stangate Creek is our favourite muddy backwater on the river Medway, a sheltered and peaceful spot with nothing but water, sky and a strip of mud and low vegetation between the two.  It’s a couple of hours from Gillingham under sail and an obvious choice for a shakedown trip.  We made a joint trip with our marina neighbours Robin and Jo: they were up for some company for their first night at anchor on their new boat and we certainly were, having had most of the boat in pieces over the winter and not being sure what was going to go wrong next.

Glorious conditions: almost warm, just about enough wind, clear sky.  Engine temperature off the scale just after getting out of the marina.  Opps.  Shut down asap, luckily we have a more reliable means of propulsion.  Admittedly coolant a bit low but seemed rather quick to overheat.  Voltmeter out again: running the engine from cool shows the resistance of the sender dropping from ~800Ω to ~150 as it warms up.  Seems plausible so it looks like the engine and the temperature sender are ok and we need a new gauge.

Engine / gearbox oil under observation.  Possible traces of oil in the engine bay.  Will clean out and review.

Intermediate shrouds a little slack under sail.  Easy fix.  Light wind, but so far so good with the rigging.

For the first time we deployed an anchor buoy.  Attached to the anchor crown with a short line, it is supposed to mark the position of the anchor and, if it fouls an underwater obstruction you can drag it out backwards using the spare line.  Unlikely in good east coast mud but a good precaution in rockier environments that we will get further west and north.  The buoy disappeared without trace although we did spot it briefly at low water.  Towed under by the tide, perhaps – need something more buoyant!

The electric outboard needs >10A fuse.  Otherwise, it was a triumph, including the home made mounting system.  Powers the kayak well and got us to dinner on Lady Jo in fine style and without getting soaked.  Should have packed the black tie dinner wear after all?

Finally, and significantly, the toilet works!  Marine toilets are regarded as sensitive beasts and ours had taken to not flushing when we are at sea.  A new pump barrel and additional one-way valve on the salt water inlet (flush) should have been easy to install, and weren’t.  Late on Friday evening, wrestling with waste pipes, our sense of humour was slipping away.  However, waking this morning, at anchor, with blue sky visible through the forehatch, reflections of rippling water playing on the ceiling, birds calling all around and the possibility of a working toilet, those hassles seemed far away.