With visits from my two favourite families in the whole wide world, I had my fill of the best of smelly kids and good mummy banter!

Yet another Cpn Jaspers and pints with fun and frolics abounding. The best possible way to end my stay here.

Thank you to The Hopcrofts and The Whites for solidly slapping the cherry on the cake!

toobs gets to run her first Bikejor of the year! Yes, I riggged her up in her sleddog harness and she helped me get up the hill to the magnificent Gallery and Museum known as The Box.

THE BOX!!!! A more splendid place I have yet to find! It was heaving with galleries, stunning displays, massive ship's heads, natural history, technology, nauticalia, and even a superb cafe. All of this housed in a breathtaking building, beautifully restorded with a modern twist morphing into the classical library of past. A definate must for anyone anywhere near Plymouth. No.2 in the places to visit, only surpassed by The Barbican itself.

Back to toobs, who then went on to race back down the hill to the ship. A good mile run for her, and she certainly enjoyed it.

(Video to come!)

With the planned departure on Leg 3 to Portsmouth looming, I decided to ensure that everything was charged that could be charged - spare liesure batteries, drill batteries, ship's batteries. I also needed to do some jobs about the boat such as fixing the chart/dining table. This came apart after I was thrown into it on the night of Day 1 and I just picked up some waterproof wood glue yesterday.

I then continued to have problems with the internet and wasted much time doing so.

Sorted many videos and photos ready for editing.

I then have been working on the Leg 2 video which should be completed by the morrow.

The small cyst on toobs' paw appears to be reducing. WHich is handy, because the Pets at Home Vets did not return my call.

This morning was spent trying to get the equipment, that was delivered rediculously late to Fowey, moved to Plymouth. As Fowey is nowhere near a train station, it would be a real problem to be able to get myself to it and back in one day. After a few calls, we may be having the wonderful crew at Fowey dropping it off for me! What a great team!

If this does not happen soon, then I shall miss the good weather window. It is strange how I was stuck in Fowey with too much wind, and now I may get stuck here with NO WIND!

I nipped to Pets at Home for a toobs nosebag to stop her biting things when she is too excited, a light-up dog harness for night-time cycling, and some wood glue from Screwfix for finally repairing the chart table.

I have been having problems uploading to the internet here in Sutton Harbour. The WiFi is poorly slow, and my phone is quicker, but sometimes drops out - wrecking any download!

I then tried toobs in the trailer with her nose cover on, She did not like the nose cover! She is very used to travelling in a trailer as she has done the whole of her life. But, she clearly wants to run instead! Sadly, with her bad paw, I can not let her do that, and she decided quite bizarely to try to jump out of the trailer when we were moving slowly. I turned to see her rolling underneath, but luckily she was unharmed. I walked bike the rest of the way while encouraging her to stay in the trailer. We have to get her used to this as I had hoped to cover some good miles with her in The Netherlands.

A lovely dinner and afternoon walk with my good friends Jules and her man, ready for me to try the internet again.

Failed upload!

What a lovely day we had!

Firstly, I bought and collected the latest addition to the Stray Crew:- A new old Singer Sewing Machine. Tried and trusted aboard many a vessel, this superb bit of kit can be bought from £30 - £50 and will last a lifetime. Handy for running up repairs on clothing, making new covers, and emergency repairs to sails. Hand-driven, she does not even have to be wired up!

I then tried to get toobs off the boat to try out her new trailer. She was not keen, and I did not know why at first. I guessed it was because she was a bit tired after yesterday's run-around and walks. 

I decided to just carry her in the trailer rather than let her have a run first, but this just meant that her excitement was at that high a level and untapped that she began eating the brand new fabric covering on the trailer! A few tries later and I decided that she was going to completely ruin the brand new trailer. A definite nose-protector is needed for these moments!

I took her back to the boat and decided to test out the trailer without her.

A lovely cycle to Weston Mill Cemetary to visit the graveside of my little boy AJ. It was his spirit that led me to discover the sea, and my life that I now lead upon it. In one month's time he would have been 26. I shall be making a short video about this story soon.

With a fast-paced cycle back to the ship, I tested the trailer to its max.

Then the afternoon brought a delightful reunion. After many years of searching, I finally found the children who formed a wonderful part of my life when I began teaching. I was dating their mother and they all came to live with me in Lancashire. When their mother returned to plymouth, I lost touch with them and it was then that we lost AJ - their brother.

So, after many flawed attempts, I managed to meet up with the youngest (mid-30s!) member of the family, with a couple of pints and a good chat. I was so plesed to see him again as an adult form of that spindly, loving 7 year-old I last remember.

Apart from the cist I just found on toobs' front paw, that is what I call a wonderful day!

WIth Bosun Nicky leading the way, we enjoyed a wander around the Plymouth Mayflower Museum. Brimming with historical stories, sets and models, it is a purpose-built building of views and memories.

Very nice staff looked after us and toobs.

A video to come.

Bosun Nicky came to stay for probably the last chance of such before we get too far away. We were also met by Simon - Sound Engineer of my old band Jonah's Lift, who collected the replaced batteries to be donated to a self-sufficient living site.

A great walk of the Barbican and Hoe and, of course, a sampling of Cpn Jaspers' delightful noshes!

Meeting a few new friends in The Dolphin finished off a relaxing day of beautiful sunshine.

A slow start, but a lot of footage and research completed for the Plymouth Video.

Then 6 hours stripping audio and mixing the latest video! 

Just uploading the 8th January Polruan Walk video. It is still taking an age as I get my head around importing, stripping, and adding graphics. 

Hope you like the latest work of art! 

Just visit Team toobs on YouTube. 

Made some new friends for toobs, today.

We ambled around the Barbican doing general research, and visited our favourite spots from the decades of familiarity.

One such place is the amazing cornucopia of all things old, interesting and eclectic in the historic working buidlings at 27, New Street. We met up with Karen on the top floor, nested in her frock-making studio - Classic Costume, and discovered that she has a spare hand-operated Singer Sewing Machine! Something I have been looking for for some time. I know from experience that they are good bits of kit and can cope with simple sail repairs. We should collect it later this week. We left with a lovely neckerchief for toobs as a present!

She put us on to her friend Karen who owns a local Habedashery where was bought some essential sewing kit.

What a lovely pair of Karens! See them on the Friends of toobs - Adventuring page.

A sad day for the world as we lose Gary "Garybaldi" Miles.

He fought off cancer, then was cruelly attacked by Motor Neuron Disease.

A happier, funnier, genuinely lovely man you could not wish to meet. He was my sister's soul mate and never ceased to love and look after her.

See you on the sea, my friend and brother. 

Xx

Makes the pains, aches and cramps that keep me down look feable and not worthy of complaint. 

A day airing and cleaning out the boat stowage, shopping at the COOP for meat and veg and downloading and sorting all the videos and stills of the last few days.

Made some beef patties and mash for tea and prepped the stew for the week.

Planning to take toobs Bikejoring on the morrow and test out her brand new trailer.

Taking it easy as I was suffering from cramps in the base of my foot and legs. Too long standing in the cockpit! I must remember to sit more, with my condition!

Had the most amazing shower in the most amazing facilities.

Washing Machine that runs of a card reader, too!

Discovered that electricity was free for visitors. As I am paying around £150/week here, I decided to get a fan heater, mothball my paraffin heater, and methodically dry out every locker and compartment of the ship. What luxury!

Sorted all the lines, put the mainsail in Harbour Stow and put the sail-cover on to protect from the weather and UV.

Met some amazing locals in the Dolphin and listened to yarns and vituoso piano performances all night. Talked to a chappy whoruns a Sunday Lunch for the Homeless every week and he invited me and toobs as guests of honour at his serving. Sunday at 14:00hrs is the place to be.

Be prepared for a LIVE Broadcast! (And maybe a fundraiser!)

After a wait of over 7 days , while storms and gales raged beyond the cliffs, toobs and I were desperate for the second leg of our Seas the Day adventure.

A simple sail to Plymouth - The place where it all kind of started (for me!)

Another beautifully sunny morning for a sail as we motored down the river and were heading to keep in the lee of the cliffs for some calmer winds. Sadly, this proved far too random and fickle, so we headed straight out to catch the constant breeze. This proved just perfect with winds fist of around 10 knts and rising to 15 to 20 by the time we reached Rame Head.

A suspiciously trouble-free sail, where we broke our speed record by reaching a blistering 7.2knts with a port beam breeze. A 2.5m swell kept Gerald the Autohelm busy, and he often had to cry out for help as we surfed down the waves and Stray tried to broach.

Some stunning shots were taken, ready for editing, and included a time-lapse of our approach, locking and perfect reversing into our berth. But, not before we heard the sound of a submarine beneath us, were chased by a destroyer, and saluted by D37 as she passed us by.

After negotiating the sea-lock into The Barbican and Sutton Harbour, we pootled to our berth and surprised the world with a lengthy reverse right down the pontoons and into our berth.

Time for a pint and a Capn Jaspers!

Yup! It took my old warty brain two days to learn the new software and edit the first Seas the Day Video.

Catch it here:-

https://youtu.be/e2bETH8oM5s