HENRY IS FORGIVEN

I think Henry has had to pull his socks up at last - especially as he has heard my comments about Harriet. You will meet Harriet soon. Anyway, after I had written how he had given up trying to produce heat in the storm, he managed to get going at last, and kept on keeping us warm and toastie non-stop for the next 36 hours of severe gales. We found out he likes to run at full speed, none of this turning him down to a moderate level. Bit like a boy racer.
Harriet has been with us longer than Henry, and is the wind vane self steering gear on the back of the boat. Harriet has been having a bit of a check-up and some cosmetic surgery before the big setting off, and on our recent trips to Oban we have missed her. If Harriet is not working, then someone has to steer the boat all the time, rain or no rain. And as Dave is allergic to rain, this is a bit of a problem. Harriet is a gem, the harder the wind blows the more she likes it. She doesn't ask for food or cossetting, all we have to do is set the sails up the right way for the direction she has to go in, and off we go. We can retire below (keeping a watch out for other boats etc of course) and the rain can do its worst. She has travelled many miles, indeed she has even been around the world without complaining. So when I said why can't Henry be like Harriet, I think he perked his ears up a bit and took on the challenge. Maybe it's a man/woman thing.
Yesterday was such a change - we woke up in the middle of the night not because of a noise, but because of no noise - the wind had died. After days and days of really big winds the silence was eerie. We were able to go alongside, and I got off the boat for the first time in five days. The forecast was good so we have stayed overnight so I can get the early bus and go to Oban to do a bit of shopping and Dave can stay and tinker about with one of the little jobs that still wait to be done. I leave at 7:45, have 1 and 1/2 hours in Oban, get back at 1:30. Carbon footprint must be the size of a yeti!