Friday 20th to Monday 23rd July 2018 in Bristol Floating Harbour.
In August 2012, we sailed down the Kennet & Avon Canal as far as Bath but then turned around as the Avon between Bath and Bristol was in flood and closed. As a result, Bristol is new territory for MM.
M had to go home for the weekend to babysit the girls as it is the Oxted Beer Festival and Elle and Matt are very busy organising the music and performing. So, R got to babysit MM for the weekend, which just happened to be the weekend of Bristol's Harbour Festival.
Bristol Harbour is three miles long and the easiest way to get about is on the ferries that sail up and down all day. Bristol is hosting a summer long charity drive for the local Hospital featuring Wallace & Gromit and their presence is everywhere - even on the ferries.
After the thrill of piloting MM up the Avon yesterday, our pilot Tony's next job was bringing the "Pelican" up the river. Just a little bit bigger!
On the Saturday, R took the ferry and a bus up to Filton Airfield and the Aerospace Bristol Museum. Bristol Aviation has a proud history that stretches from the First World War and aircraft such as the Bristol Scout.
Through classics like the Beaufighter, Blenheim and Britannia and engines such as the Olympus that powered Concorde and the Pegasus engine that powered the vertical take-off Harrier.
The Museum is home to a Concorde, which R flew in several times in his thirties. On one occasion he was invited into the cockpit for the landing in New York and sat in this seat just behind the pilot. Quite an experience!
On Sunday, R wandered around the Festival which surrounds the middle section of the Harbour. The glorious weather had certainly brought out the crowds. There were at least eight sound stages featuring music, dance and every kind of performance that you can imagine. And, of course, there were row after row of stalls selling or promoting whatever you did or didn't want.
One whole park area was devoted to entertaining children, including this rather charming elephant, who was very popular.
A steam engine was providing rides up and down the harbourside where once large ships would load and unload.
A popular event was the display by the boat "Pyronaut", built in the thirties, it served for over sixty years as the fire service within the harbour. As it was very hot, the spray was welcome.
On Monday, R took the ferry all the way to Bristol Temple Meads Station to meet M who was coming back from home on the train. MM is moored right at the western end of the Floating Harbour and Temple Meads is at the opposite end, three miles away and 40 minutes on the ferry.
We initially went all the way back to MM to drop off M's stuff. Vessels can only leave the Floating Harbour to back on to the Avon River for about two and a half hours before high tide. There were a lot of boats that had come in for the Festival and they were all queueing to leave, waiting for the bridges and lock to open. This included many cruisers;
As well as some of the larger vessels such as "Irene", a beautiful sailing vessel;
And this huge dredger, the "Graham Roberston".
We caught the next ferry back into the centre so that M could acquire a "few bits".
While wandering around as R tried to remember where the Sainsbury's Local was, we bumped into Wallace sitting in the sunshine with his cup of tea.
Finally, having had an ice cream while waiting for the ferry, we arrived back at MM.
After her exertions of Wednesday and Thursday, MM has only run her engines to top up the batteries.
Total for four days: 10.0 Hours.
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