Channel mania and petrol power

As we get ever deeper into the Channel season, Channel mania is taking a stronger hold on all of us. The weekend before last down in Dover all anyone could talk about was the weather and when it would clear. On Saturday not a single boat had set out to sea on an attempt in the 2007 season. Freda told me that in 1992 no-one got across til mid-August - perish the thought. By then Channel mania would be hysteria.

Apart from obsessing about the weather, we also did some swimming. Six hours of it on Saturday 7th, to be precise. That was a bit of a shock, given I was expecting another 3 or 4 hour weekend. Silly me. When the sun is out, Freda goes loooonnnnng. To be fair, there was barely a cloud in the sky, though the wind was playing to usual form for Dover Harbour this year ie blowing what felt like a gale. Still, I definitely felt the benefit of the sunshine on my back. Oddly, I couldn't quite settle for the first two hours, but I got my rhythm back in the middle two hours. I spent the last two concentrating on bashing through the chop, as the wind had really picked up and it had got very rough. No change there then. I had a shoulder pain in the fifth hour, and had to do a couple of minutes of breastroke, but that seemed to see it off. All in all, whilst still not pleasant, it was probably the best long swim so far, and I even recovered full use of my right hand by about 4 hours (not my left though - very strange).

After I got out, I had a chat with Dave Whyte, my pilot. The upshot was: not a lot. Everything depends on the weather. If there is no backlog from the current tide, he said he would definitely look at taking myself and the number one slot across before the 20th, if we had a weather window. Weather might look like a 7 letter word to you, but I can assure you it's a 4 letter word to me. Dave said I looked in good shape (I think because I was chatting to him quite happily after only ten minutes out of the water) which was nice to hear. I'll happily take a compliment from anyone, I'm not fussy, but it does mean a little more from an experienced boat pilot.

Sunday 8th I could only swim for 3 hours because of Natalie's birthday bash (Matt's cousin, who was turning 18), but Freda said that was ok. There was less sunshine on Sunday, but also no wind at all, and ten boats out in the Channel! My 3 hours was just fine - in fact, I was flying for the first two. I had just got the blood back in my toes when it was time to get out.

It's now Monday 16th, and there have been quite a few assaults on the Channel so far. Results have been mixed. It seems Sunday 8th had very few success stories - maybe as low as 3 out of the ten. Yesterday Jim and Hoffy, both of whom I know from the beach, were in the drink. Jim got pulled after 9.5hrs with a shoulder problem, poor man. Hoffy made it in a shade under 14. Well done Hoffy! Sandy also made it last week, in a storming time of around twelve and a half hours - hurrah for Sandy! Last week it felt like being pregnant again - I remember being obsessed by everyone else's labour stories even though it had no bearing on what it would be like for me. I got quite nervous and wound up about it all.

Now, though, I am in a much more chilled frame of mind. Perhaps it is because mum, dad, bug and I are now staying in a cottage near Dover, and have all the things we need for the boat pretty much ready. We came down on Sunday - the plan was that I would swim and then meet them at the cottage. The first part of that plan went without a hitch - I did a three hour swim, which was fine (I even think it has heated up a little from last week). The second part wasn't quite so easy, given that I stopped for fuel and filled the tank of the (deisel) audi with - you guessed it - unleaded petrol. I didn't even get 400m from the garage. RAC is a wonderful invention, even if the phenomenally stupid woman on the phone swore blind that there isn't an A2 within 15 miles of Dover - it's a major route! Pay attention to the map, woman, after all, it's your job! - an assertion which was responsible for them taking ages to place me. Still, eventually a nice man in a spec-lift van (I learnt the lingo so it wasn't wasted time) delivered me to the cottage.

The aforementioned cottage is great. It's really well equipped, and Bug loves the fact that he can wander all through it since it's one level (goodbye bathroom privacy). It's only ten minutes to Dover, which makes it easy for the daily swims. I bumped into two aussies, both of which are booked on this tide (Steve is #1 with Dave Whyte, and his mate Jeff is #2 with Reg) and we swam together, and have plans to meet to do the same tomorrow. It was a great swim today - very flat with some sunshine. I feel like I'm as prepared as I could possibly be and I'm enjoying relaxing and being on holiday, so really...bring it on. Though now Dave is saying that the tide is too high, and unless the weather is PERFECT he wants to wait til the official tide. So the "bringing on" of "it" will not be for a few more days at least.

Oh, for those of you with a mechanical bent who are wondering about the damage to the car: the tank was drained and filter replaced and now it's as good as new (and valeted too!). On the other hand, my stock with my husband in car matters has taken a further dive - and I didn't think it could get any lower than after my car-losing debacle in Earl's Court...