There are some basic requirements for a traditional British Christmas dinner. Turkey, sprouts, cranberry sauce. Having an oven helps too. And it’s in the oven department that we are lacking ….to the tune of one. 

Ours went on a trip to North Island to be refurbished with hopes of a return that was bright, shiny and fully functioning. A new ‘like for like’ marine oven retails at over £2,000. Sod that. Problem is, the oven hasn’t returned and New Zealand likes a long Christmas break. Even though it was booked in for courier collection on the 19th December, it’s still waiting on a workshop floor in Auckland. Many miles from Grace on Christmas Eve.

Chris, a kind man who runs Nelson Sailing School lent us a two burner gas stove to supplement our camping stoves. But there’s still no oven. So roasting, baking and grilling are not possible. Steak will be on the menu for us on Christmas Day.

We’re currently motor sailing towards Bark Bay in the Abel Tasman National Park. The wind is due to fill in so we’re pushing to get anchored before the headwind join us. Christmas will be by the beach. 

Our time in Nelson has been occupied by a major varnishing project…Grace has oodles of teak which keeps on giving. And Dave has been installing a new drip feed Dickinson diesel heater. Some of the stages include buy tank, modify tank to fit in the lazarette, run fuel lines, buy fuel filter, mount fuel filter but first need to reconfigure cupboard, tile surround, find someone who can fabricate a stainless steel chimney and so on. It’s definitely not a plug and play option. It’s going to look great when it’s all completed. Clever boy.

We have a friend coming to stay in the New Year. That’s an event! The last people who stayed on Grace came to the Bahamas. I hope we remember how to be good hosts.

So here is wishing you all wherever you are in the world, a happy time as you pig out on roast turkey and home-made mince pies. If only…