cushions again

Finished the first cushion...... rest being left until after Christmas.... Struggling to work out how to repair patch in sprayhood..... standard domestic sewing machine isn't upto the job...... after much time deciding how to sew it by hand, parents let slip that they have a sailmakers sewing machine in the loft.... humhhhh Spray hood got damaged after the boom rubbed across the top of the rear supporting bar, and just wore through in a couple of places.... got some spare material, so a simple patch will fix it..... obviously not a new probelm, as the same area on the boom/sail cover has a repair patch..... New 2006 almanac turned up.... so now we can start dreaming about our plans for next summer...... Initial planned trip is a week in May... a run across to Oostende, and then a week crusing in the area.... rerally not sure where to got yet.... need to look at the Almanac, but either North into Holland, or perhaps south via Dunkerque..... we did Calais and Boulogne last year, so perhaps prefer a north run..... perhaps just a day or two going north from Oostende, and then a trip across to Lowestoft (another of last years plans that never happened), and then back to Ipswich via Southwold (before its closed to yachts!) and the Deben (another of last years plans that never happened).... any suggestions for a short run North of Oostende for a 1.6m Fin Keeler?