Roger had sensibly decided that we would sail over to the fuel dock at about 10am and set sail about 11am. Everybody was going to come to the fuel dock for Mimosas (Bucks fizz for the Brits) which is the Beaujolais tradition whenever we set sail.

Well, Dylan, Russ and Shelley arrived and we cast off the lines and slowly reversed out of the slip. But when Roger tried to change gear and move forward, nothing happened!!! Black smoke billowed out of the exhaust, but still no forward movement. Dylan and Shelly jumped in his dinghy to push us back into the slip.

Doug and Lisa had arrived by this time, so Russ got his dinghy and he and Doug guided us over to the fuel dock as we reversed Beaujolais over.

Roger could only presume that the folding prop had got so fouled up it couldn’t change the position of the blades when he engaged forward gear.

He donned mask and snorkel and dropped in the water to investigate. Sure enough the prop was not only covered in growth, but also Barnacles!!!

I popped down into the galley and prepared the traditional bacon butties to accompany the Mimosas.

Everybody was rewarded for their help with a butty and a Mimosa. We had decided to delay our departure and sort the prop out properly, so I invited everyone over for a party later!!!

Roger went over to Geoff’s boat to borrow his ‘hooker’ ( a length of garden hose with a connector for a air tank on one end and a reg on the other), Russ gave him their air bottle and he set about cleaning off the barnacles and changing the sacrificial anode at the same time.

He had intended to change the anode but had not wanted to dive in the marina as it is not that clean.

Had he of done so, he would have seen the prop, but we were going to do it at anchor, so hadn’t. Ah well,  Sheralee and I reckon we weren’t supposed to sail today!!

So after tidying up and prepping the food for tonight, we (the girls that is) decided no more work, so I am sitting here in the cockpit, my new i pod plugged in, writing this blog. I have also learned how to get ‘space’ anytime I want it.

All I have to do is plug myself in and start singing and everyone disappears!!!! Well Sheralee and Rob anyway (Roger was still under water).