‘…all is calm, all is bright’  or even ‘what a difference a day makes, 24 little hours’.  Boxing Day dawns clear and wind-free and the boat has stopped moving.  We pull ourselves back in, put out the plank and enjoy stepping ashore.  Everyone else is emerging too and several people are counting the cost – there’s been a cleat pulled out here, a stanchion bent there, one boat had its stern damaged and another has gouges down her side where she came adrift and got pushed along the pontoon.

Inside, we can look Christmassy again.  This is our tree with presents early on Christmas morning but it had to come down as it kept falling over with the boat movement, and the coloured lights went out with the power cuts.  Now the tree has pride of place on the chart table once more and we’re looking suitably festive again.