The ARC has definitely moved in.  Boat etiquette is very clear, you ask nicely before rafting up against someone and definitely, most definitely, ask before you board another chap’s vessel.  A bustling bristling ARC girl came and told us that someone was about to arrive and they would raft up against us.  No please, no thank you.  She then had the temerity to leap aboard and start prancing around without a “by your leave”.  I have to admit that she got short shrift, I am a stickler for the Ps and Qs, but she did have the decency to come back later and apologise.  We seem to have been left alone since then but have promised to leave on Sunday and leave them a space.

In the meantime, despite Bob waiting eagerly, Lawrence didn’t turn up to install the battery so Bob did it himself.  We pointedly left the old one on the pontoon and told them to come and fetch it.  They did, with a good Caribbean roll of the eyes.

We pottered over to the fuel dock to fill up the outboard and ended up arriving just after a full string of jet skis turned up, each to be fuelled individually and each jockey wanting to pay individually.  I was left in the dinghy fending off from the crispy sided concrete pontoon so we didn’t pop and manoeuvring out of the way from other boats but also witnessing a Brief Encounter love story unfolding as one lovesick Italian swain was saying fond farewells to another lovesick European swain.  “When will you be back?”.

We then had to wait for Francesca.  I was beside myself with excitement but held firm and refused to be diverted to helping bring the dinghy on board until she had arrived safely.  I didn’t get away with it and had to get back on dinghy duties while Francesca was nesting.

Hooray that she has bought along the mincemeat and the cranberry sauce.  Christmas is eagerly awaited!