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and well, and occupied, and all systems on Albert are go. We are stationary here in Decize, whilst masterful fiddling with just about everything that can be fiddled with takes place.
Arrived last Sunday - 6th, I think - by courtesy of deeply appreciated ex-officio crew members based in UK who cast cares of husbands and families aside, and drove me out to France, deposited me on Albert, made my bed, cleaned my perfectly disgusting fridge - it had grown acres of black mould although door carefully wedged open - did first necessities shopping (whilst doing their own enormous booze shop) had dinner, slept over in a local Logis, assisted me in the purchase of a washing machine, and departed to homes, families, and other less important cares on the Sunday.
Greeted on arrival at Albert by Florent - base manager for Crown Blue Line, and a personal friend. Apart from pleasurable greetings, he had good news and bad, Bad News was that in January Albert was broken into. The Good News was that the thieves had been caught - they also broke into 5 Crown Blue Line Boats - and everything they appeared to have taken was still on them, and had been recovered No physical damage or unpleasantness had been perpetrated on the boat. The thieves appeared to be lads out for a lark, rather than big time professional thieves. Apparently the local Gendarmerie took a very practical and dim view of them.
In actual fact, clearing up after them was not difficult - their target appeared to be exclusively small tools in the darkest and most awkward to penetrate locker on the boat. The only things still missing that I am aware of are 2 very sharp M & S saw edged kitchen knives (be aware citizens of Decize) and the handle that holds my screw thread hole taps.
Having cleared up and put away in a big way - it took about 3 days working at my current speed - settled down to "do things" to the boat.
First, of course, intensive tidying and cleaning. The outside of the boat is looking sad - paintwork is well beyond repaint by date, but at this stage can only clean and polish, starting with the roof, which has a number of rust (ugh) spots. Inside, just a question of the standard insertion of quarts into pint pots.
Then to more pleasurable tasks,
first the engine. Its starter motor would not turn it over. Just loud clicks. This has been a problem for about 4 years, and has always been cured by addressing the solenoid thing on the side of the starter motor with a hammer - kept near it specially for the purpose. This time it was having none of it. Base mechanic came, in his lunch hour, removed offending item, cleaned it out, and within 20 minutes engine running.
Then Brompton stand frame - vital in the folding and leaving it standing operation, a victim of a clumsy jump ashore on the bank of the Yonne last year - welded in VNF workshops (just behind mooring) also during lunch hour! now as new.
Then installed washing machine. Any item needing directions, in France, has them - very detailed and verbose - in every language and type face, European and Asian, excepting English. (Ask Mitterand about this - he threw a spat at a recent E.U. meeting when even his own ministers spoke English) However, even if the machine has been installed as for Outer Mongolia, it is working splendidly. Poor old spin drier - 10 years and held to-gether by rust and kicks - will demise to-morrow.
Big heavy duty hand vacuum cleaner next. Old one also straight into skip - never a success only - 2.4 volts.
Then computer - joy of joys, no sign of Trojan Horse that arrived - in spite of all normal protective firewalls and virus protectors - on my last morning in UK while downloading from and with the latest, and nastiest, version of iTunes. Took 2 hours of AVG running to abolish it - but how did it get through in the first place? On line here with Orange France GPRS as though never been away, and everything worked - again - splendidly. Noticeable that each time I move the computer there seem to be fewer of those dreadful little black plugs with cables sticking out of them that have to have their ends stuffed into something erudite. Does this tell me something? I have a lug box in the house in UK full - very full - of black plastic gadgets of all sorts, now redundant.
Cannot believe that it has taken a whole week to get the short distance I have - but it has! I have yet to get used again to the necessity of going out and buying bread at least 6 days a week. At home I make my own. (No, I am not an earth mother type, I have a machine, and get ready mixed flour and yeast from Waitrose, and leave it do it's thing at night).
However, am enjoying the mere fact of being here in Albert, and also cycling here again - motorists in France are happy to let cyclists live.
Hope to get going middle of next week.
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