Saturday 24 March 2012

To Saturation Point and beyond

I have spent some quality time over the last 2 Saturdays with Darryl from Peeks Driving Tuition Limited in Lowestoft. He has patiently explained, sometimes several times, how to survive on a motorcycle. Last week I managed to reach saturation point, physically in the rain and mentally processing the advice I was being given. It doesn't matter how gently the rain is coming down you still hit it at 60mph if that is how fast you are riding. I even found puddles which meant my waterproof trousers were being filled from the bottom up as well as the rain coming down. Despite wearing alleged waterproofs I was still soaked to the skin. The rear seam on the waterproof trousers had failed which didn't help me stay dry. It was so wet Darryls professional biking kit had only just dried out when I went back, which was today: a week after my original soaking. He'd spent the intervening week sunning himself somewhere warm on holiday. I'd spent the week in the office and buying replacement waterproof trousers. This morning I was woken by Christine from Peeks telephoning to invite me to come back and finish the course just after lunch. The weather was cool, dry and sunny, much improved from the week before. I'd venture it was ideal biking weather. I walked down to the school, got into my replacement waterproofs and jammed my head into the biggest helmet the school could lend me, along with the earpiece so Darryl could instruct me. I still wobbled a bit but felt so much better. I went round corners comfortably, enjoyed the sunshine and even managed all of the required manoeuvres: I have, at last, completed my motorcycle CBT ( Compulsory Basic Training ). The ambition to ride a motorcycle had been a dream for decades: Thank you Darryl and Christine at Peeks for finally making one more ambition come true.

Sunday 11 March 2012

Moonfleet re-visited

Moonfleet has spent the winter on her moorings. Today's weather was glorious sunshine, though chilly in the breeze, so I took a train out to Somerleyton and walked through the woods to the boatyard in order to check Moonfleet and find her trailer. Moonfleet was still floating and her engine is still in working order: Not bad for a boat which has been left alone over winter. I also managed to finally locate her trailer which had, on previous visits, been hidden by weeds. The trailer needs air in one of it's tyres but otherwise appears in good order. I now need a reliable way to get a tank of petrol, air pump, wheel brace and other voyage essentials out to my lovely little boat without investing in another car.