When McCayle Cullkin was left ‘Home Alone’ in the 1980’s classic movie he got up to all sorts of adventures and vanquished bad guys single handed. Iain has been left ‘Home Alone’, has had single handed adventures and has vanquished a list of chores that was so long it was threatening to take over the world.

With Fiona heading back to the cold climes of northern Europe for the week and the wind turning to the south Ruffian had to be moved. When sailing alone things aren’t just twice as difficult they are about a million times more difficult and Iain was about to find out just how difficult.

After prepping and thinking about everything, Iain was ready for his adventure. Sketch charts had been sketched, the autopilot had been tested, Andy the android was on fired off, the VHF was ready and engine purred into life.

With the engine on, up came the anchor and Iain simply motored out of the bay. How easy was that? Half the battle was done, now he just had to reattach Ruffian to the ground in a safer bay. As he rounded the headland masts could be seen protruding from everywhere, an anchorage full of boats with Iain all alone would spell disaster. He counted and counted, but took solace that with his now extensive single handed experience, he’d find a spot.

Nearing the bay the masts turned into lamp posts and land based architecture. Blissfully there was a huge space with Ruffians name all over it.

Down went the anchor and bounced off a big rock. That’ll be why there was a huge space in the anchorage. All alone contemplating his situation of not being attached to land there was no choice but to once again up anchor. Now expert he found a spot, stopped Ruffian and attached Ruffian to the sand. Phew adventure over never has a beer alone tasted so good.

Iain’s ‘Home Alone’ adventuring had been completed and it was time to tick off the task list. Day after day Iain did things ending in ‘ing. There was cleaning, servicing, gluing, fettling and most importantly of all in the world of boating, bimbling.

As Iain took to one of the key jobs he realised that Fiona (or he himself) had, unwittingly, left a nice little gift. The task was to find out why the holding tank was quite so stinky and as the vent was taken off the problem presented itself. Somehow nasty unknown brown stuff (you can guess) clogged up the exit from the holding tank. This really was boat maintenance in an exotic location.

With drinks on Serenity and dinner on Sara Jane (yes that’s Jane not Lane) things weren’t all that lonely for poor Iain, but with Fiona gone the fun stakes were defiantly down. Fiona’s return is imminent and so the fun can start again and we’re all ready to cross yet another ocean.