The Last Post

When I was a little pup there was a period in me life when I didn’t get treated so good. As I got a little older, I found meself on board a boat. It was very big boat and it was a scary place to be for such a little dog as me an da man that lived there didn't care about me. Then one day, some people showed me how it was to be loved and how I could be free to be me. This was the day I met me dad – aka The Dogfather – and the mum aka mumpty! You can read the whole fing ere.

Course, I never knewed it then but they was gonna turn into me foreva fambly and we wud never be separated and I would grow old wiv dem. They was always there for me and I for them. We sure had some fun togeva, first on Atlantis and then in various houses and countries. I even had me own pool for swimming in. Mum an dad got me a ramp to elp  me in an out.

As we know tho pals the day comes when it is your time to go and yesterday it was my time. I has left em boaf broken earted but they dust not need to be becoz of me bein over rainbow bridge wiv some true legends like Marley, Bridie, Ted the Legend, Rohan, Zowee, Ginger an Mac, Harvs, Bunners, Gunner, Sydpie, Brutus, Frugal Dougal, Rosie Posie, Annie, Bonnie, Jacky, Dusty, Tiggy, Pepi Smartdog and oh so many many many pals. We is avin right larf I can tell ya! Now we gonna has a #pawpawty we never gonna forget :). Rainbridge is gonna rock rock rock!

Don’t be sad mum, don’t be blue dad, coz you was the bestest fambly a girl could ever wish for. Now … get on wiv dat boat will you! I wanna see you boaf in Malta. I be watchin and prolly post from time to time to let pals know ow fings be progressin.

Now me gonna sign off.

Lexie ....... out.

A new home for Atlantis - part 38

Ello is me again! Bin a while ain't it? I forgot where I was. Oh yeah we was gonna find annuva moorin for Atlantis an move her an they was gonna finally get to work again after a lonnnnnnnnnng time of not being able to get on board her (legal fings).

Well, true to her word, mum found a moorin. T'was in a place where they had looked years ago funny enough. Lowestoft! So the mooring was found, the deal was done. All they needed to do now was get Atlantis seaworthy enough for them to get her up there.

Now, why dus these fings always ave to appen in Winter? Poor old mum and dad spent 5 months from November to March getting Atlantis ready for her trip. I was supervisin the whole time of course, keepin em on their toes.

First fing dad ad to do was find out what was urgent to fix and what we could live wiv for the trip wifout danger to life! Atlantis had been laid up so long , there was a lot to do! So, his list looked a bit like dis:

• Fix the raw water pump without which we couldn't run the engine
• Weld the wheelhouse so we could put in the navigation lights
• Weld the Portuguese bridge for added safety whilst at sea
• Install new batteries for the 24-volt navigation system
• Clean and prepare the fuel tanks
• Fix the anchor windlass (that's a winch to you landlubbers)
• Repair the crane
• Get new ropes
• Fabricate new bollards
• Get rid of all the rubbish (mum's job!)

Water pump - the raw water pump was rotten so dad had to machine a new shaft, new seals and gaskets.

Making sure we could anchor safely out at sea was impawtant as we couldn't make the trip in one go. The anchor's hadn't been lowered for quite a few years so we had to test em. Dad had to get sledgy out again.

You might remember we did also get Bandit wot is our rib that is our tender and our life raft if we needed it, wot we didn't I am glad to report. We took her out for tests on the Blackwater during November.

More next time on all the fings wot we dun. I hope you enjoy the bloggy and is good to be back!

Lexie out!