The work to replace the piles around Darthaven Marina has started and we should be back on our berth by Thursday. This is good news as the berth that we currently occupy does not get very much sunshine, maybe an hour if we're lucky as the sun takes a while to come over the hillside and we didn't fancy the idea of being held hostage on Drummer when the jetty has ice on it!

Anyway, the huge crane arrived earlier in the week and the marina staff have busied themselves with moving boats around the marina in order to clear the area to allow the crane to start work.

We were woken this morning at 8am by a vibrating sound that echoed through the water and into the hull of the boat. I must admit, this company didn't mess around as by the end of day 1, two piles were removed and replaced. Despite the noise, it was fascinating to watch as they manoeuvred the huge crane into position, cut the top off the old pile, grabbed the pile with a thing that looks like a giant pair of pliers (my best description but see photo gallery 'Darthaven') and using hydraulics vibrate the pile out of the seabed, the surrounding sea bubbled with excitement. This followed by the crane then manoeuvring it back onboard, strapping up the new pile and then performing the same exercise again but having to intermittently check that the new pile was going back in vertically. Once in, a top was then welded into position and painted.

The replacement of each pile took approximately half a day (not as though I was keeping tabs on them) so two piles down and another five or six to go - completion should be Tuesday (they are planning to work Sunday).