No not that one… something far more terrifying !
The heads have been playing up all holiday. Sometimes pumping out properly, other times producing a lot of loud gurgling sounds and not much else!
I bought a service kit in Dover and fondly imagined that the simple act of buying it would somehow effect a cure.
But this morning the bullet had to bitten! (Metaphorically thank goodness !!!)
For those of you who haven’t had to come to terms with the cruel facts of life yet, the Joker Valve is a rubber aortic thing that lets whatever is in the toilet bowl out, whilst preventing the sea water from coming back in!
It’s presumably called the Joker Valve because it’s such a laugh replacing it…. especially when it’s been in situ for over 10 years.
I won’t traumatise you with any pictures – and anyway I didn’t have a clean hand to pick up my phone.
Hopefully that’s the end of the laughing for another 10 years.
Next it was up to the marina office to see if there was anywhere to hire bikes.
‘I have bikes’ was the response… and they were free!
So could we have got free bikes at every other marina if we’d just asked??
What’s wrong with this picture?
You’ve spotted the Bell I expect, but where are the brakes.. or do you just use the bell and expect a path to clear before you?
We discovered pretty quickly that you pedal backwards to stop, but it’s not an instinctive movement so you really do need that bell. Also they’re great on the flat, almost effortless, but they’re not built for even slight inclines.
So off we pedalled… and pedalled and pedalled.
We stopped for a swim in the sea which wasn’t too cold at all and thankfully it was free of clinging jellyfish. Pretty busy though.
The lunch menu had frikandel. A traditional Dutch treat apparently. When I asked what it was the waitress said frikandel is frikandel. It’s always worth asking for help I find 🤣
Even Google translate offered no clue.
Not knowing if it was savoury or sweet I ordered one to discover it’s a kind of slightly fruity hot dog/sausage!
Vegan Lynn eyed it with the same facial expression I had used earlier when replacing the Joker Valve!
It came with mayonnaise and I thought it was very tasty, especially with a cider accompaniment!
So it was an easy going Sunday, but grudge match scrabble in a minute 😱 and Veere tomorrow
This Sailing Life 
Shame about the Bog but a most entertaining blog! Glad you got your joker fixed!
Have you both passed the cycling proficiency test????
Keep them coming please!
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We know all about the joker valve having changed our manual toilet for an electric one (3 times). Fortunately, only water and pee had passed through the valve 😊😊👍 nice and clean 😂😂😂. Sorry about yours 😏. Frikandel looks good though. Scrabble ?? Win or lose 🤣🤣
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Hello David, hello Lin,
Weare good back arive at Calais. Your couse of 130 was good. Was foogy and the big ships use the horne for signals. See mutch little fish jummping out of the water at one area and swimmers with a boot near. At least we had 5 Bigger ship stop for an come only 0.3 or 0.5 sm forther on our way through stopping every time. But at least see the coust and landmarks from CapBlanc Nez. Than 4 miles little against the currens and more than half hour wauting in front of calais harbour. Leave Dover at 10 – 15 hour german time. Greatings Rainer
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Hello Rainer thanks for your message and good to hear you had a good crossing. We had a good run to Eastbourne too! I’ll email you once we get home and everything sorted out. David.
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Hello Dsvid,
Could’nt use your e-mail address so mayby you send me one to my adress.
Rainer
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As we miss the right tide n the early morning to sail to Graveline we leave at 16.00 o ‘clock Calais and arive Graveline at 8 o’ clock in the evening 1 hour before high tide. I like this smal french village with his castle very mutch and visite nearly every year … Hope weather will noch get bad the next day when we will go back to Vlissingen … Best regards to Lin and you … Rainer
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