Anyone got a giant Gin & Tonic ?

For the last couple of years, I've tried to organise a "Boxing Day Sail" at our model boat club. Despite the humorous title, these have never attracted many people so this year we moved the date to the day after boxing day. Maybe people have immediate post-Christmas plans resulting in the poor turnout. Well that was the hope.

As it turned out, the date change worked. 5 hardy souls arrived at the waters edge with boats on a fine sunny winters morning.

When I say waters edge, what I mean is "giant ice cube masquerading as a pond". Thanks to the recent cold spell the entire waters surface was over an inch thick with ice. I smashed the stuff in our harbour and hauled a chunk out as you can see. Maybe it's a realistic model iceberg, just the thing for Titanic fans, but pretty useless for watery modeling activities.

Of course we are British. A little bit of frozen water isn't going to deter us goddammit. Beating the ice with various implements, shoving it under the surrounding sheet or skimming lumps across the width of the lake freed up enough wet water to get some tiny models afloat. A yacht, fishing boat, lifeboat and even Slingshot saw action.

OK, not the long and pleasant sail expected but we had a good laugh in the sunshine and in the end, that's what it's all about.