Loki got taken out of the water a few days after we completed our epic maiden voyage, and has been sitting on blocks and stilts in the car park of Penton Hook marina, along with all the other (mostly bigger) boats. Until yesterday, we hadn't actually seen her, things have been so busy. The lovely people at Aqua Marine winterised the engine for us, and we have asked them to do a whole load of work sprucing up the hull (which has loads of chips. scrapes and scratches from living on the canal) and fixing the plumbing. She will hopefully be looking wonderful by the time she goes back in the water in April. (We have also set the ball rolling in changing her name).

Eva and I went to see her, with our friend Greg, yesterday. The main reason for going was finally to retrieve the bits and pieces we left on her in October - including various bits of groceries, plus our very nice king-size sleeping bag. Greg had a stepladder, which we hoped would save us a trip to a local DIY store to buy one, but we rather underestimated just how high up the entry to the boat is when she's on dry land. Greg's puny little stepladder didn't even take us halfway to the 2 metres or so that we need to get up to. The last thing the marina normally wants to do is lend out their own ladder, because then everyone will want one, but Eva charmed them and was given a rather rickety aluminium ladder that was clearly meant for accessing very much bigger boats, and had a rung missing. Still, Eva and Greg managed to clamber aboard, and passed me belongings to stow in the car. We had been dreading everything being sodden and mouldy from the cold weather, but in fact it was all dry and in good condition. I did take three photos of Loki, but deleted them after thinking I had transferred them onto my computer when, for some reason, I hadn't. Hey ho.

A stroll along the river bank near Shepperton Lock left us impatient for April to come along.