Long Live Dracula

Well isn't Whitby rather nice although folk don't say hello when you walk by.  Maybe it's because it's a seaside town with lots and lots of visitors and chippies.  There is a Co-op close to the marina and I made a few trips.  I had some of those melamine plates on Tutak that had seen better days so we went for some plain white crockery.  Proper job.

Here is Tutak, quietly snuggled up against the pontoon with a slight list to starboard, the new crockery is quite heavy.
 

There was a bit of dredging going on in the harbour with a super bit of kit.  A built in 360 excavator on a pontoon with spud legs.  The operator scooped up the spoil and dumped it into a hopper barge with two big outboards on the back.  I say outboards but not as we know it.  They are big blue boxes with engines it,s bolted on the stern deck of the barge with outdrive legs reaching into the water.  Brilliant idea.


 

Monday came and I walked the few hundred metres to the boatyard just upriver.  The book says they are riggers and northern agents for one of the mast people so.  True enough but they were short staffed and couldn't get down to see me today.  I explained I was keen not to spend too long as I had a friend to catch......  but if I could get the track off the mast he might be able to sort something out.  So I returned to the boat and got the hacksaw out.  The blade wend behind the track as it was so loose and only two of the six rivets were actually holding it on.

Taking the track back to see Stephen again at the yard we decided to go up a size on the rivets as the old ones had worked in the mast and made the holes oversize.  In a few ticks I had the correct rivets in my paw and a rather nice riveting tool by Gesipa. It pulls up the rivet super easily and doesn't jar when the head breaks off.  I left a hefty deposit for the loan of this tool and I don't blame him.  I would have still been in pocket had I run off with it.  It only took a few minutes to drill out the holes and get the track back on, what joy.

Stephen, Coates marine's owner, didn't ask any money apart from the rivets and was most helpful.  Naturally I left a little something to say a big thank you anyway. 

 

So after another trip to the supermaket we made ready for the mornings tide in the morning and took the ten o'clock bridge swing.

The double breakwaters at Whitby seem to work well and dissipates the surge nicely with very little working its way up river.  I suppose northerly gale things might be different.....

So once outside we turned left and headed across the Tees bay for the Tyne.  Ships aplenty at anchor waiting their turn to feed the fires of hell or whatever they do on the River Tees.

You can see that the sea had that oily leftover swell.  Not a lot of wind but sloppy and we banged about all day and were glad to reach the Tyne.