Misty departure, sunny arrival, sore muscles — and a G&T well earned.

We left in the mist. Not dramatic fog — just the soft, grey kind that sits low over the water in the morning and makes you feel like you’re the only people awake. By the time we arrived in Breskens, fourteen degrees and actual sunshine. Worth the early start.

On the road we listened to a sailing podcast that had us both taking mental notes: man-overboard techniques for a two-person crew. Things you don’t ever want to need, but very much want to have practised. It went straight onto the to-do list — not the “one day” list, the proper one.

First Stop: The Plus

Before anything else: groceries. We’re slowly becoming regulars at the local Plus — we know where things are, we know roughly how long it takes, and we’ve started to enjoy that small, domestic ritual of provisioning for a weekend aboard. It grounds the whole trip somehow.

The Day’s Work

We had a long list and enough daylight to tackle most of it. Here’s how the afternoon actually went:

The Cushions

The new cushion covers deserve a moment. We had them made to measure through 123maatkussens.nl — both inside and outside covers — and they fit perfectly. The service was excellent, the result was better than expected, and Adriana’s interior has taken a significant step forward. Genuinely pleased with this one.

Varnish Off, Hull Sanded

There is still some work at the waterline — which you can see clearly in the before photo below — but the difference after sanding is real. She is starting to look like herself again. These things take time, and that’s fine. We’re in no rush.

Scrubbing a deck on hands and knees with brown soap and a brush is humbling work. The kind that makes you genuinely appreciate a gin and tonic at the end of the day.

Gas & Fenders

The gas installation is nearly there — the new parts are in and it’s all coming together properly. Seeing all the components laid out on deck earlier in the refit felt complicated; now that it’s assembled and working, it feels obvious. That’s usually a sign you’ve done it right.

The gas installation taking shape — regulator, copper pipe, and all the right fittings.

Extra fenders have been ordered. We looked at the ones currently hanging and decided more was more. A well-fendered boat is a relaxed boat.

The existing fenders doing their job — the new ones will be joining them shortly.

The Important Bits

Between tasks, there was coffee. Two bowls of it, with delicious local Brekens waffles, in the sun, with the marina spread out in front of us and not a single alarm going off. This, too, is part of the job.

The most important item on the schedule.

Later, we tested the gin and tonic seat properly. It passed again the test.

Piet also got a brief moment to just sit – the light doing what afternoon light in Breskens does. Not every moment needs a task attached to it.

Skipper’s mandatory rest period, in progress.

We also met the neighbours. Marina life has its own rhythm — people come and go, nod hello, occasionally stop to compare projects. It’s one of the better parts of having a boat in a harbour: the easy, unforced camaraderie of people who understand why you spend your weekends doing this.