What could possibly go wrong?

  Covid of course - just for starters

It wasn't long after my return from Portugal in early September 2020, before the Covid storm clouds gathered once again. The summer's false dawn soon looked very false indeed. Eventually the government put the whole country under lockdown once again including, finally, restrictions on international travel. Then Portugal started recording an alarming surge in Covid-19 cases and my decision to buy a boat there started to look like the foolish, impulsive move that of course it was and I started feeling more and more anxious about what I had let myself in for.

Not only did I face the very real prospect of not being able to get Bonny back to the UK this year, but I would also have to stump up another year's marina fees. The fees for the year ending June 21 were all all paid up by the previous owners and I had certainly not factored in the need to pay for a year myself. To make matters worse I was becoming increasingly disenchanted with my new job as a Work Coach with the DWP (started in October 2020). If I was going to pay for a year's marina fees in Albufeira, my intention to resign from the DWP in May was looking increasingly untenable.

Since then of course the outlook has improved significantly. Portugal, by some fortuitous twist of fate, is now one of the few countries on the UK's 'Green List' and just as importantly from my point of view, is allowing in travellers from the UK. Just as well, because by mid April I had concluded that there was no way I could continue with my job at the DWP and so at the end of that month, with fingers firmly crossed, I handed in my notice. 

Will this happy state of affairs last long enough for me to get to Portugal and depart for the UK (via the Azores) on Bonny?  Mick and I are booked to fly out on 8th June (timed to ensure we are both fully protected by our two doses of Covid vaccine). Time will of course tell whether the latest dark cloud on the horizon - the Indian Variant will scupper my plans!

I should also record for the record a minor hic-up amongst the chaos and uncertainty caused by Covid. I had arranged for Bonny to be lifted out and scrubbed off in early May. Under my original plans I was to have been there but of course that didn't happen. I was loath to delay the lift-out until I got there because I wanted to leave Albufeira as soon as possible and I had already changed the date twice in anticipation of my arrival. I therefore relied on new friends in the Marina to move Bonny to the crane. Thanks to them and the yard, the lift out went smoothly, the scrub off, anti-foul and anode replacement was quickly accomplished and Bonny was returned to her berth by the Marina staff.

However, a few days later I received the following photographs from Peter who had organised Bonny's short trip to the crane..

It looked suspiciously like the Marina staff had caused the damage when parking Bonny back into her berth. I therefore emailed the marina and asked them to investigate. To my relief they replied a few days later accepting responsibility and undertook to get the necessary repairs completed.