One thing after another today!

We had arranged to go out on the boat for a spot of fishing and meeting up with NandS. Lloyd spent a couple of hours yesterday getting everything ready, filling petrol tanks, making sure the engine started and generally getting the boat organised for it's first outing of the season.

We headed off to Waitangi and got the boat into the water with no problems. I jumped on then Lloyd started her up  - the engine roared into life and off we went - or so we thought. The steering wheel just went round in circles while the engine stayed in the same position. We had absolutely no steering! Oh joy.  It was obvious the steering cable had snapped and if it's going to do it then just off the slip is probably the safest place, so lucky there - but we were heading towards a huge post thing and lots of moored boats. Lloyd put her into reverse and we glided back to the shingle shore - no harm done, but our boating day came to a rather swift end!

As I was coming back up the slip a lady who was just launching her boat said that we could come out with her and her husband if we wanted - how lovely was that, and Hone, who runs Taiamai Tours was just launching the Waka and came over to see what the problem was. So we wouldn't have been stranded - thank you lovely people!

Hone
© Taiamai Tours

We phoned the boat garage and took her straight there, lovely Rob took out the cable and is coming over to the house tomorrow to fit a new one. What amazing service.

Then on the way home the jeep over heated big time! The temperature gauge went off the scale and loads of smoke belched out of the bonnet. We got home and have just abandoned the jeep in the middle of the yard with the boat still joined on! We'll think about that later... we're going to look at some alpacas for Lloyd's birthday. Determined to make the day a bit better!