Varnish and big rude boats

Here's Winter Solstice all bright and shiny - on the woodwork at least. And Aoife. She's a dog who always manages to get into the photo. She should be on the stage - photogenic and a proper drama queen.

It was the best weekend for tizzing up the boat and drinking chilled white in the sunshine. We were on Lough Derg for a glorious couple of days. First in Castle Harbour in Portumna, then Terryglass, then down the lake on Sunday.

The trouble with Lough Derg (not of course, everyone's view) is that many of the boats are big yokes that roar up and down the lake putting out a big bow wave. Bow waves are no fun when you're in a relatively small and narrow boat like ours, especially when they come from behind. If they hit you side on you're sent rocking from side to side and the small dog has to panic and shiver and burrow under the covers of our bed.

Some BBs (Big Boaters) are extremely courteous but Sunday's wasn't. Overtook up on the plane. I think we were probably in the invisible sector of the lake because I'd swear he couldn't see us the way he stared away. The only thing to do was stop Winter Solstice and turn so the wash came up her bottom. Not dignified but at least nothing fell over.

So we left the boat in Dromaan, a sweet little harbour near Williamstown. More sunshine please.