Big debate about number 8

I never thought I'd spend so much time deliberating the issue of my missing number 8 but since it seems to be generating funds for Comic Relief I can't say I mind. For anyone not up to speed, after being distracted by general abuse from a couple of moorers whilst stencilling my jetties I inadvertantly dropped number 8 into the marina. If you read my previous post you'll see that this has prompted some statistical calculations (never let it be said we are not an intelligent marina!!) and I was delighted to find an email in our inbox on Saturday morning from the crew of a passing boat, entering into the statistical debate and passing on the very kind offer of not only keeping an eye out for my missing number 8 but also of donating to Comic Relief – THANK YOU!! Roger's reply was too good not to publish to here it is......

"Hope the journey to Preston Brook is going/has gone well. I think it's great that you took time to debate and pass comment on the No.8 Stencil debacle that currently surrounds Overwater Marina, there are a number of jetties currently without any identification and how I will navigate from I8 to E38 remains a concern. It's potentially a treacherous trip of some 250 yards, with an island to consider and possibly some mad woman in a small dinghy who searches the waters of the marina day and night for a number long since gone to Davy Jones' locker. I certainly will only attempt the journey in fair weather and good visibility!!

I now understand the issue, no apology required, and your resident maths expert's reckoning would be absolutely correct if the jetties ran consecutively 1 to 227, but they don't, things aren't that simple deep in the farmlands of Cheshire. Each group of jetties, based on length, is named after some sort of plantlife and I think that it's more than a passing coincidence that these run alphabetically from A – Anemone to M – Marigold.

So whilst we are moving from I8 to E38, we're actually leaving "Ivy" and going to "Erodium" which I personally think is a nicer looking plant but that's not the main reason for our transfer. Sorry, I digress... the sequential numbering is limited to these groups, for example, Ivy only goes up to I14 and Erodium to E38. Therefore, calculating the number of jetties with a number 8 is a little more complicated than one would first think, it took me some time studying the plan on the website before I came to the conclusion that there were approximately 26. I have to say that without the aforesaid "local knowledge" the assumption made by your crew member as NB Siena meandered her way north is fully understandable and their standing as a math expert should not be deemed to be in question!!
Should you ever see NB Next Generation on the cut, make sure you say hello!
Regards Roger"
Should any of this have made you smile – please think about others who may never feel well enough to smile and even though times are hard, if you can donate even just a small amount to Comic Relief it will make a difference.