Congratewlashun and jooobliashuns - part 20

Well hello ma pals … is me … Lexie … ow fings? Today dus be very impawtant date for us. It is da anniversary of mum an dad buyin and steppin aboard Atlantis. Or as a pal on twitta said it’s Atlantis’s Gotcha Day.  So to celebriate I fort I dus some highlights from our bloggy for ya!

Yes pals, 8 years ago today mum an dad paid the shipbroker an stepped aboard Atlantis as owners for the first time. I wud like to say I did too but I wasn’t even born then! Pffttttt how inconsiderate of them not to wait for me ;).

Here is a bootiful paintin of her as she wod of looked back then. She was originally registered on da Small Ships Register as MV Janettje in 1965 (she is younger dan mum but not dad hee-hee) in Holland where she was built.


Atlantis painted by a local Brixham artist
when she was Janettje

 















Anyhooooo, back to the Gotcha Day. It was a very hot day an mum an dad waited anxiously by the quayside in Gillingham, Kent waitin for the tide to come in. Atlantis was moored in the middle of the river and had been there overnight where she'd come straight from Kilmore Quay, Ireland across da Irish Sea an round Lundy Island! The crew brought her over in a Force 7 but she didn't find that too troublesome they said. They was more worried about their roast chicken flyin out of da oven! Here dus be ow she looked back den.



Atlantis fishin in da Irish Sea in 2003

















But Lexie! I hear you cry. What made da mum an dad decide to do this venture? They had only been togeva bout 16 munfs and were still in da honeymoon period (dad: what d'ya mean were? We still are!) so they were all lovey dovey and finkin let's do somfink mad wiv our lives! You can read all about their romance (barf barf) if you dus wish on da Twisty Turny Fing post wot tells you how they come to buy Atlantis.

Mum an dad knew was a long road they were heading (mum: what d'ya mean were? We still are!) as they prepared themselfs for some orrible jobs ahead. Like *shudder* cleanin out da fishhold! You can read about that particular activity under da Smell-o-Vision post. I dussnt like da look of wot dus be down there ;).

Maybe you wud like to read about how da Lexie (dat be me) comes to be wif mum an dad if you dussnt know bout it already. Now I gonna tell you, a number of pals did get upset bout da events wot unfolded but I like to let you know dat everyfink worked out pretty ok!! As you can tell ;)). You can read about it on dis post wot dus be called Reasons To Be Cheeful. Ere dus be picture of me back in 2005 when I was lickle. Who could resist me? hee-hee. Mum cuddn't and she telled me I was really cute back then (lexie: what d'ya mean was? I still am!).

We moved Atlantis annuva moorin wot was much nicer and betterer for us coz we could make lots of noise and use our brand new crane too! Read about how we went all super-posh and dad put windows in da saloon (probly a good idea dad!). Not that they has any glass in yet! You can see bout dat in ma post wot dus be called Frew Da Round Window!

Life took a turn for the better again when dad finally was able to finish a basic bedroom for us to sleep in. We'd been sleepin on the floor of the wheelhouse for 7 years. Seein as dad was gonna shellfishly remove it they had to have a bedroom! So he built one (as you do) and they moved into it in September 2010. You can read about that in dis post wot dus be Down The Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire.  Here dus be the bed (wifout da blankies and all that of course).

Well, I better get on wif dis highlights fing as it gettin a bit long! Ok, the wheelhouse! Dad decided to build a new one, but first, he had to get rid of the old one. And so he did! You can read about that under The Disappearing Wheelhouse. Now you see me, now you don't:

Course as always, we has to stop fings for winter but dis time dad has back-up plan of fings to do. He goes spray-foam-tastic and recreates santa's grotto effect frewout boat! Time To Move Inside tells you bout dat!

Well pals, in terms of da bloggy, we is almost up to date! Da next phase was buildin the new wheelhouse. Somfink dad was keen to progress quickly so we could move to a new mooring we had found. But dat is annuva story. Believe it or not dis the beginnings of hooj wheelhouse!

Fanx for elping celbriate our anniversary. Mum an dad still has a lot of work to do but they can see the light at da end of the tunnel (is a tiny tiny spec i fink). Happy Gotcha Day Lady Atlantis!

Avast ye landlubbers .. shiver me timbers .. where's me rum!

Hello chumleys! I am doing anuva post on my bloggie. I hope you did enjoy da last one. I am quite enjoyin maself wiv all dis bloggin malarky!

This weekend me, mum, dad and our crew (our great pals what is called Jared, Len and Julie) did move our boat from Hoo St Werburgh on da River Medway to Fullbridge Quay at Maldon in Essex. Is about 60 nautical miles.

Before we set sail mum and dad did av loads of fings dey had to get ready first. The most important fing wot they dun (in my umble hopinion) was to remembers to bring ma lifejacket from da house! Here's a photo of me in ma life jacket lookin out da wheelhouse window at da scenery:

I am wonderin if the lifejacket has shrunk! Ma bum does look awfully big in dat fing. Must be the angle ;). A friend suggested I has a lovely meaty bum! Must be all da swimmin wot I does. But wait, I digress...

So off we went on our journey. Everyfin ran smooth as clockwork. Da engine was purrin along. For your informations we has a Stork Diesel 660 hp engine. We made an average speed of bout 10 knots (dat be 12 miles an hour). First of all, we went along da River Medway and passed some very interestin fings. Dis is a big ferry wot we saw dat was anchored up in da middle of da river while the crew and passingersies onboard did all av some rest:

When we was out in da deep sea bits, ma dad and our good friend Len was takin turns to drive da boat. We has da GPS which shows da maps of where you is at and where you is goin. Very clever init? Is like da A-Z of da sea. Here is a picture of ma dad (right) with Len (middle) and my very great hoooman bean friend Jared (left). He is ma best hooman friend in da whole world. Dey is lookin at da GPS wot you can see on da computa:

When we was goin along we saw some birdies was following us. They was just cruisin along enjoyin da fermals i fink. They are good at dat and i fink they fort we had some fishes on board but we dussnt av fishy smell no more! We also saw a seal wot was swimmin by and he did stop to av a look but mum was too late wiv da camera to take a pic of him. She did get dis photo of da birdies though:

As da sun started to set and da tide was ebbin, dad decided was time to anchor up for da night. He already planned our journey so dat we set off on a spring tide. Dus you know wot dat be? Dere be two types of tides - number one is da spring tide, which be big tide (nuffink to do with spring season) and number two is da neap tide (nuffin to do with turnip), which is ickle tide. For further informations, tides is all do wiv da moon and da sun and da waxin and da wanin!

So .... we did find some bery deep water and anchor up for da night. We did watch a most beautiful sunset before we did settle down for da night:

We had some food and da hooomans took turns in sleeping coz of avin to be on watch. Luckily, coz I am a doggie I did not av to do a watch, so I assisted by sleepin in my basket, ready to pounce at da speed of a cobra, if required.

Next day we set off bout 9.30 in da mornin as da tide started to rise again. Once we woz sailin we did all have a cuppa and some breakfast. We was all settlin down for da journey when da police decided to pay us a visit. Two police officers did board Atlantis and den they did ask us questions and take notes about fings. Dey did use their radio to run checks on all da hooomans (notice they did not run check on me!!) to make sure dey was not norty. Dey discovered dat none of da hooomans was criminal and did stay wiv us for annva cuppa. Dad and mum showed dem round da boat and they told dad off for taking so long to finish her, then they went on their way. Here is a picture of da policemens wot was waitin in their boat for da ovva two (who was avin cup of tea):

By dis time we had reached the mouf of da River Blackwater and were happily sailin past da sea wall where mum dus take me for walks! She was tryin to tell me bout it but I didn't av a clue wot she was on about. Silly woman. When we woz in da Blackwater we did reduce our speed to bout 6 knots so we could get round da buoys. Dese were tricky for such a big boat as ours but was easy for ma dad coz he dus be a very good sailor.

Before we cud even say anti-distinctly-minty we woz in Maldon! Da river did start to get narrower and narrower and we was now in fresh water. Dad was bein bery careful not to hits nuffink and we slowed down to bout 4 knots.

When we did get to our moorin was all paws to da ropes and we tied her up and dad did shut down da generators and da engine. Then, we all had a cuppa. Wot is it wiv da hoomans and dere cupsa tea! Our new landlord wot is named Jim did come round and gave us a paintin pontoon to stand on in da water. We dus av to paint her very quick or we get into trouble wiv da local council. As you can see, she is feelin bit unloved and lookin bit shabby, so soon all da hard work start again.

After we did some general tidyin up mum and me did took our friends Len, Julie and Jared back home to Kent. We left da dad behind to made sure da boat was safe when da next tide came in and den we went to our house at bout 2am!

We got home and then of course, the only course of action open was to ............. sleep!!  mmmm sleep i sure lubs to sleep! Da hoomans let me have a quick snooze in da bed before they got in.  I mean, after all, a girl has to get her beauty sleep init? They is good to me.

So that is da story so far. Hello? Are you still there? I hope I nevva dun bored you. Well goodbyeeee, goodbyeee, cheerio, chin-chin. This is Lexie signing off.