So Pancake Day is over and Lent has started. Somehow that doesn't seem to mean much in the middle of lockdown 3. With abstinence and navel gazing already so high on the agenda, little change seems to be required much this year. The priestly blessing as they smudge your forehead with ashes goes;
'For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return'
Well maybe, but since we are 60% water I go with an alternative;
'For you were made from water, and to water you will return'
For us Lent isn't so much about giving things up, as getting things ready to return to the water. Some sails are in for modifications, the outboard is being serviced, safety equipment is being tested and updated, the rigging will be checked, props and rudder cleaned and anodes replaced, deck jet washed, the interior deep cleaned, cabin sole repainted, the list goes on and on.
It will all get done and by Easter we will be shipshape and Bristol fashion once again, after a long and unproductive winter. April and May will be quieter than normal but we will be out on the water; renewing our Pilotage Exemption Certificate to navigate the Dart, practicing safety routines and setting up the sails and rig ready for our summer adventures.
So if you are wondering how to escape this summer why not consider running away to sea on Snark, a unique adventure for a unique year.