The stakes were high

One night the salon hosted a card school and as you can see the stakes were high.

The interior

I have to build some fiddles behind the seat, and I had fitted a small CO detector for safety. Although we do not has LPG on board it is a wwise precaution. The speakers are BOSE and the stereo comes with a remote, this seems excessive but hey it came with it.

Bill care fully selected most of the wood on board and the colors and grains are lovely. We used Pettits satin varnish for just about everything except the table which was finished in gloss.

Two taps here, one for pressure system hot and cold, the other to a foot pump, cold only and also can be diverted for salt water.

It had struck me that there were no pictures of the finished interior. Actually it is not quite finished, are boats ever finished one might ask. Well a few cupboard doors to be fitted and a few things just to make it feel like home. I asked someone how long it took to get the inside a yacht organised and they said 3 years.

The sole is teak and is oiled to try and provide a less slippy surface when it is wet.

The salon table fits on a removable pedestal, I liked this feature which means after undoing a couple of bolts it can put out of the way as necessary. It seems to be a well engineered solution. Although I do like some of the other arrangements on other BCC's.

I quite like how the slightly different colors of the woods work together, and when the hatch is closed with the Alpen glow lights on there is a nice warm tone. The blue I feel works well with the accent of the cushions.

Somes Sound

We had a delightful sail with the wind behind us and shortly after had to return to NE hbr where my wife had to leave to attend to her mother who had become sick. It was sad to see her go, and it left me single handed however I had by this time worked out most of the new boat wrinkles and it was going to be just fine.

Cranberries from the top

Nice view over the Cranberry islands, this cliff has an eagle's nest on it much to the delight of the boat tours. It dutifully takes off for a fly past on command and then sits on its eyrie majestically surveying its domain.

Ah the site of a near disaster. We had just come down to the beach after our walk and were about to get in the dinghy. When someone came rushing over to tell us that this big power boat was drifting across the bay to our BCC. Panic! We both leapt (loose term given our age and ability) into the dinghy and yours truly didn't quite make it................. the spare leg and I fell backwards into the water whereupon I was suspended upside down with my leg brace tangled into the rowlock. Foot caught under the thwart and bleeding nicely. It probably looked quite funny from the shore.

Anyway after I unhooked myself we "sped" off to the boat where this nice old lady was trying to fend off. They had hooked our anchor and as they pulled in with their winch they just worked their way up our chain until they arrived at the top. Both well into their eigthies and somewhat baffled by what had happened. We disengaged and I suspect all was ok until I realised that the camera and my cell phone was in my pocket........................

so thats the end of the photographs from me

Friendships easily made

On the way round to Valley cove we came across a fleet of Friendship Sloops, what fun they were having. One flew by us under full sail and was well handled.

We must have counted a dozen at least, they just appearred out of nowhere.

Lurking in the bay, is another BCC can you spot it?

Just near Asticou there are some gardens which are quite lovely and well worth the hike up the hill.

Can't think why they call this a smoke bush, I tried to camouflage with my red cap but I was captured on film.

Met this great guy with a BCC, a Canadian one, he was refitting it! Thoroughly delighted with it and claimed that it had changed his life. EEk powerful boats. We had a great chat and compared and contrasted.

and then ZEN

Asticou Gardens - what a delight. The Zen garden of course is meant to look like the sea! Topical for yachties if course.

The rest is magnificently laid out out and beautifully maintained, we thought about supper at the hotel, but when we discovered about the price we decided the boat would be better food.

Actually NE hbr was a little oasis away from the hustle of Bar Harbour, they would have a jazz band playing every Thurs and free drinks! The locals were so friendly.

We went to Bar Harbour about 20 years ago and it was perfectly delightful. Sadly its a bit frantic now and the outlet mentality that surrounds it has spoiled much of its charm. MDI is still quite lovely, creaking a bit at the joints from all the people, however their bus service (free) was superb and so convenient.