Lyra's Travels

Saturday 1st June 2013
So far, (9 hours) June has been a fine month. Let's hope it stays that way.
We've had a productive week so far doing a few jobs that I reckon need a bit of warmth to get me off my posterior.
The big one of these was the long standing problem of Lyra being over ballasted at the stern.
The real problem was the fact that the ballast was under a tiled floor, and breaking up the tiles isn't an easy job. Then, of course, they have to be replaced.
Taking my courage in both hands I attacked the floor and finally exposed the bare board. A run to the local boaters' rubbish point to get rid of the bulk of the detritus and then unscrew and lift the board.
Now it was just a case fishing out as much of the steel ballast I had originally loaded in there in the mistaken idea we were too light.
I wasn't looking forward to disposing of all this heavy bar so was delighted when Mike came along and asked what I was going to do with it.
You can't do that! It must be worth money. It's only a bit of mild steel bar says I. I'll take it of your hands he said. Done!
With as much as I could remove now sitting on the pontoon Lyra has come up nearly 3 inches, and for the first time I can remember the top of the rudder has broken the surface.

All it takes now is to re-lay some tiles, but that will wait because we have just received a call from Damon saying that his foot has swelled up so badly that he must go to A&E, will we look after Daniel while that happens.
One small glitch on the horizon is the washing machine. It's just broken the dryer heater so that has to be sorted ASAP.