AT WORK ON THE BOAT

Since our arrival in Cambrai, we have been working non-stop taking advantage of the good weather we have had. Bill has removed the old floor on the wheelhouse, put in new insulation, and is now ready to install the new one. The water tanks are now permanently installed and the plumbing for them working beautifully. We have a total of 1,100 lbs. Which is quite a lot for a boat of its size. Sylvia has grounded off all rust spots on the decks, treated them with an anti-rust agent and painted the entire area with a non-slip paint, a gritty and rubbery paint very difficult to apply. It took all afternoon to do it, but it dried quickly and it looks great.

Spring is in the air, all is green and beautiful, and we have a new generation of duckling. Mama duck, one of last year's babies, paraded around along with "dad" and her 16 duckling three days ago. Two are bright yellow, four black and the rest brown with yellow spots. They are the most beautiful thing to see. Many of our friends who keep their boats here for the winter are back working on them before doing their cruising, so we are back to socializing in the evenings, and enjoying our friends' company very much. On the 21st, we will be going to Brighton, across the Channel with the Cambrai Mini Club. We did this last year as well, and had a very good time. It is the London-Brighton Mini Run # 21 this year.
The following weekend, we will join our friends Jamie and Anne in Maastricht, Holland to go with them on their boat to Brugges. We are very much looking forward to this. We did a short trip on their boat last year from Charleroi to Namur, in Belgium. Our first visitors this year will be Jeff and Susan Nemerov , friends from N.Y. who will be with us for three days in June. We will take them on an overnight trip to Vaucelles, where there is a Beautiful Cisterian Abbey.