How much would you pay for a toothbrush? Four for a pound from Tesco? £2.50 for something from Colgate because they're supposed to know about teeth? How long do you make yours last – and would you expect a more expensive one to last longer, or just reach the parts that other toothbrushes don't reach? When our dentist recommended an electric Oral-B some time ago, we bought the bottom-of-the-range model and loved it. Replacement heads are as expensive as manual toothbrushes, but you can usually find them for a reasonable price somewhere. We wouldn't want to go back.
However, I couldn't find any way to charge the Oral-B that didn't require mains voltage. It was going to be the one item on Erin Mae that needed regular charging via the inverter (apart from my archaic phone which I hardly ever use). Perhaps we could charge it every time we cruised, but this wouldn't be very satisfactory. So what were the alternatives? Toothbrushes with replaceable batteries seem to have gone out of fashion. Finally, I came across what must be the only toothbrush on the market which will connect to a USB source – you can charge it via your computer, or a 12 volt outlet in your car or in your boat! It's made by Philips. And the list price is £250.
It was, however, available on Amazon for £80. I nearly wrote "just £80", but corrected myself. That brought it down into (the top end of) the price range for other, mains-only models. But who sets the list price for these things? Granted, its charging systems are all rather nifty, especially the USB-connected case which both protects and charges it when you're travelling. But no way is there £250-worth of goodies in the kit. At £80, on the other hand…
In the end we decided to buy it, and it's charging as I write. It's cornered the market for USB-powered toothbrushes, and so can set its own price – but it does exactly what we needed to keep Erin Mae an inverter-free zone for long periods.
Only time will tell, of course, whether its results meet our dentist's approval at the next check-up.
Friday, 3 June 2016
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Trabecular meshwork
I suspect that few boating blogs will have ever used the title of this post. It's not part of the system for filtering out diesel bug, nor does it refer to silencer insulation or the screen over the side-hatch. It's found in your eye, facilitating the draining of fluid from the front part into Schlemm's Canal. Let no one tell you this blog isn't educational.
Now, as it happens, long-sighted people (like yours truly), with our slightly shortened eye-balls, have a sharper angle between the iris and the cornea, just where said meshwork sits. That means it has a propensity for clogging up, especially (ahem!) in those no longer in the first flush of manhood. And that can lead to acute glaucoma, which sounds distinctly unpleasant. This was all explained to me by the ophthalmic consultant in Christchurch hospital this morning, and our mutual conclusion was that I should undergo a procedure to fire a laser at my iris(es), creating a small hole which will allow the fluid to drain away from the front part of the eye, should my trabecular meshworks ever get clogged.
This has little to do with Erin Mae, of course, except in the circumstance that I be struck by an episode of acute glaucoma in the middle of Harecastle tunnel, or when encountering an ex-working barge coming through a narrow bridge round a blind corner. Under such conditions I'd regret not having had the laser treatment.
So that's done with the penultimate appointment currently keeping us from boating. The last (something to do with my best beloved's canals or roots or something) is tomorrow. Then we shall be free to head out into the wild for a while to see whether all my 12 volt machinations on Erin Mae enable me to sleep at night, content in the sure and certain knowledge that my batteries are having no greater demands made of them than is right and proper. I see that Halfie has been moving in a similar direction.
Now, as it happens, long-sighted people (like yours truly), with our slightly shortened eye-balls, have a sharper angle between the iris and the cornea, just where said meshwork sits. That means it has a propensity for clogging up, especially (ahem!) in those no longer in the first flush of manhood. And that can lead to acute glaucoma, which sounds distinctly unpleasant. This was all explained to me by the ophthalmic consultant in Christchurch hospital this morning, and our mutual conclusion was that I should undergo a procedure to fire a laser at my iris(es), creating a small hole which will allow the fluid to drain away from the front part of the eye, should my trabecular meshworks ever get clogged.
This has little to do with Erin Mae, of course, except in the circumstance that I be struck by an episode of acute glaucoma in the middle of Harecastle tunnel, or when encountering an ex-working barge coming through a narrow bridge round a blind corner. Under such conditions I'd regret not having had the laser treatment.
So that's done with the penultimate appointment currently keeping us from boating. The last (something to do with my best beloved's canals or roots or something) is tomorrow. Then we shall be free to head out into the wild for a while to see whether all my 12 volt machinations on Erin Mae enable me to sleep at night, content in the sure and certain knowledge that my batteries are having no greater demands made of them than is right and proper. I see that Halfie has been moving in a similar direction.
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Furzey Gardens
Being in the south for the weekend, we drove over to Furzey Gardens, in Minstead in the New Forest.
I'd left my camera behind, so experimented with using my best beloved's phone to capture the azaleas. It was odd when I came to work with the photos to have to deal with a different aspect ratio from what I'm used to.
It was the first time we'd seen examples of Primula beesiana, a type of candelabra primrose.
The gardens are beautiful – a real haven of peace in the New Forest. They are closely linked with the Minstead Training Trust, a charity which works especially with people with learning difficulties. Many vulnerable adults are involved in the activities of the gardens, and the whole project is a model of its kind. It's not the first time we've visited and we will probably do so again in July when our grandchildren are over. We were sufficiently impressed again today to take out membership.
I'd left my camera behind, so experimented with using my best beloved's phone to capture the azaleas. It was odd when I came to work with the photos to have to deal with a different aspect ratio from what I'm used to.
It was the first time we'd seen examples of Primula beesiana, a type of candelabra primrose.
The gardens are beautiful – a real haven of peace in the New Forest. They are closely linked with the Minstead Training Trust, a charity which works especially with people with learning difficulties. Many vulnerable adults are involved in the activities of the gardens, and the whole project is a model of its kind. It's not the first time we've visited and we will probably do so again in July when our grandchildren are over. We were sufficiently impressed again today to take out membership.
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Test run
As we started out from the marina yesterday the batteries, naturally enough, were full. But we'd stopped before lunch, relaxed in the sunshine, watched a bit of TV early evening, charged our devices and generally done what we usually do. So the question was – what state would the batteries be in by the morning? That, after all, was the point behind Erin Mae's 12 volt revolution.
By the time we went to bed the SmartGauge was showing 94%, and that was encouraging. I woke at 5.15, and the SmartGauge said 91%. That was extremely encouraging. I went back to bed until about 8, by which time the SmartGauge was reading 90% and the solar panel was already providing enough current to offset the drain from the fridge. Now this is only one day's test, since we have to travel south by car tomorrow for the weekend but, as first indications go, these have been good.
So we travelled on, down Colwich lock, and stopped at our favourite local diesel supplier, variously known as the Taft Wharf or the pig farm.
These days they stock more than pigs and diesel. Not sure whether this is an alpaca or a llama…
Warm and woolly, a sheep on stilts. In the Great Haywood area there are stocks of sheep with mostly variegated brown colouring.
Whether or not it was the prevailing wind, they were nearly all facing the wrong direction for a decent shot.
What makes some mottled, some all white and some all chocolate I have no idea.
Time to turn at the winding hole half a mile beyond the diesel, re-trace our route and stop for lunch just short of yesterday's siesta spot. Since it was cold today, we had hot soup inside, and I noticed that Andy Murray was just starting his 2nd round match at the French Open. We rigged up the aerial for a little bit of tennis, and found ourselves spending most of the afternoon watching him struggle to overcome the 164th best player in the world. Rather more than a test run for him.
That meant we got back to the marina rather later than intended, but it doesn't matter. It's late May, but it's raining and it's cold, so we've lit the fire.
By the time we went to bed the SmartGauge was showing 94%, and that was encouraging. I woke at 5.15, and the SmartGauge said 91%. That was extremely encouraging. I went back to bed until about 8, by which time the SmartGauge was reading 90% and the solar panel was already providing enough current to offset the drain from the fridge. Now this is only one day's test, since we have to travel south by car tomorrow for the weekend but, as first indications go, these have been good.
So we travelled on, down Colwich lock, and stopped at our favourite local diesel supplier, variously known as the Taft Wharf or the pig farm.
These days they stock more than pigs and diesel. Not sure whether this is an alpaca or a llama…
Warm and woolly, a sheep on stilts. In the Great Haywood area there are stocks of sheep with mostly variegated brown colouring.
Whether or not it was the prevailing wind, they were nearly all facing the wrong direction for a decent shot.
What makes some mottled, some all white and some all chocolate I have no idea.
Time to turn at the winding hole half a mile beyond the diesel, re-trace our route and stop for lunch just short of yesterday's siesta spot. Since it was cold today, we had hot soup inside, and I noticed that Andy Murray was just starting his 2nd round match at the French Open. We rigged up the aerial for a little bit of tennis, and found ourselves spending most of the afternoon watching him struggle to overcome the 164th best player in the world. Rather more than a test run for him.
That meant we got back to the marina rather later than intended, but it doesn't matter. It's late May, but it's raining and it's cold, so we've lit the fire.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Out and about
We could have spent the day cleaning and tidying and I don't know what, but it was time to get going. The engine started without a hiccup after its six-month lay-off, and we strolled gently along the T&M to Haywood lock.
A GRP queued behind us as we helped the boat in front and another coming up. We haven't done this since last October!
A pair of proud parents were also out on the water.
So how far would we go? We'd often thought the stretch between Haywood and Colwich locks was a nice place for boats to moor, but never done so ourselves, since it's only just down from our marina berth. So we thought we'd tie here for lunch in the sun.
Very nice it was, too. So we sat, and read, and sat and read and then decided to stay the night. One mile, one lock – that's about the shortest day's cruising we've ever done!
A GRP queued behind us as we helped the boat in front and another coming up. We haven't done this since last October!
A pair of proud parents were also out on the water.
So how far would we go? We'd often thought the stretch between Haywood and Colwich locks was a nice place for boats to moor, but never done so ourselves, since it's only just down from our marina berth. So we thought we'd tie here for lunch in the sun.
Very nice it was, too. So we sat, and read, and sat and read and then decided to stay the night. One mile, one lock – that's about the shortest day's cruising we've ever done!
Monday, 23 May 2016
Yo-yo
Well, here we are back up again. Plan was to come up to Great Haywood last Thursday – which, with a thing or two, turned into Friday. Until, on Thursday evening, I was gently moving a delicious piece of post-prandial chocolate around my mouth, and felt something hard in it. My first thought was that product quality control at Cadbury's had gone to pot. My second thought was – "surely not another piece of tooth broken off!" It was indeed a broken filling – I think I'd rather it had been Cadbury's at fault. A phone call on Friday morning fixed up a dental appointment for today, so we stayed over the weekend and travelled up to Erin Mae once Caroline had finished her repair work.
The marina is very calm tonight as the sun sets and we've settled back in quickly. And we have plans for tomorrow! We're hoping to take Erin Mae out for the first time this year. We shall only have a couple of days as, yo-yo-like, we have to get back to the New Forest on Thursday, but that should be long enough to remind ourselves of what a lock does, and to fill up with diesel. It will also be a little test in the wild for the 12 volt electrical stuff that we've been putting in place.
More appointments next week and then we hope, belatedly, to be able to get out for about a month before the grandchildren fly over from Norway to visit.
The marina is very calm tonight as the sun sets and we've settled back in quickly. And we have plans for tomorrow! We're hoping to take Erin Mae out for the first time this year. We shall only have a couple of days as, yo-yo-like, we have to get back to the New Forest on Thursday, but that should be long enough to remind ourselves of what a lock does, and to fill up with diesel. It will also be a little test in the wild for the 12 volt electrical stuff that we've been putting in place.
More appointments next week and then we hope, belatedly, to be able to get out for about a month before the grandchildren fly over from Norway to visit.
Monday, 16 May 2016
Travelling in the sun
Once the sun came out, it was a wonderful day for travelling. Unfortunately, Erin Mae stayed in the marina, while we journeyed along the motorways, back to the New Forest. Appointments and things over the next couple of days…
But there were compensations. We got to listen, on the radio, to a discussion of why Poland got one of the highest popular vote scores in Saturday's Eurovision song contest, in spite of having come nearly bottom after the jury votes. Some of the data apparently suggests it was down to all the expatriate Poles in around 10 European countries. I'm not a particular fan of the contest, but I love that sort of analysis. I wonder if one of the sides in the referendum will make use of it.
Better still was that, in the garden, some grass seed I'd sown is coming along nicely to repair a patch, and our first rose is out.
But there were compensations. We got to listen, on the radio, to a discussion of why Poland got one of the highest popular vote scores in Saturday's Eurovision song contest, in spite of having come nearly bottom after the jury votes. Some of the data apparently suggests it was down to all the expatriate Poles in around 10 European countries. I'm not a particular fan of the contest, but I love that sort of analysis. I wonder if one of the sides in the referendum will make use of it.
Better still was that, in the garden, some grass seed I'd sown is coming along nicely to repair a patch, and our first rose is out.
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