2006
1 April 2006 to 15 April 2006
Moored up in Crown Blue Line Base at St Jean de Losne.
This period went so fast and seemed so untidy, it feels difficult to work out what happened, or if everything was and is one complicated dream!
Brother-in-law Stephen drove me out on Monday 3rd April. A pleasant and unstressful journey, with the car - his car - totally full, boot and back seats.
"Stuff" for the boat - or rather the things considered absolutely essential for our life on the boat - were prepared in 3 batches over the last 18 months. 1 lot over was prepared over Christmas 2005 for transportation at Easter 2005, another lot in autumn 2005 for transportation then by Harry Wood - whose "Encore de b" lived just by Albert in Crown Blue Line at St Jean de Losne, and a third lot of "just in case" items that I might have forgotten to go out with us (yes, I had made lists on the computer, but I didn't read them - who ever wants to read lists.). Anyway, knowing me, they, the lists, would have been wrong, and I suffer from a most appalling siege mentality complex.
Basically apart from my clothes and an unbelievable quantity of odds and ends packed in those cheap (£1.98) collapsible plastic boxes from B & Q, we were carrying 6 domestic leisure batteries (12 volt, 110 a/h), and an engine starter battery. I assumed - probably correctly - that 18 months total neglect of by no means new batteries would mean - even if they could be resurrected - unreliability throughout the season, so decided to start from scratch.
We traveled in beautiful weather - arriving well before lunch on the second day, the 4th, and were able to unload onto Albert - who looked very neglected and down at heals - in lovely clear sunny cool weather. CBL chaps helped us carry the batteries down, installed them, and removed the old ones. Pity about the odd extra one - I had catered for 6 domestics - Albert only has 5! Went up to l'Amiral (he's come up in the world in the last 18 months - printed menus, and he's shaved) for lunch, and supper at the Logis where Steve spent the night.
Cleared enough space for me to sleep, got shore electricity, gas, fridge, old battery charger running and woke up to pouring rain.
Steve brought a baguette and some
staples, and we had a scratch and chilly breakfast, then he pushed off home - there was little he
could
do, it was
pissing rain, and he was due in Hong Kong in a couple of
days time, anyway, but I was and am incredibly grateful to him fetching me out
in such a practical and painless manner.
The next 2 weeks were spent "doing" things to the boat - apart from cleaning outside and in. Cleaning outside was just lick and promise - only had 1 short finger pontoon to work off.
To list the things done - principally for my own records - a new 30 amp shore powered battery charger - long planned was installed, with separate feed to engine and domestic banks. The loo macerator pump refused work, and after a long, messy and boring afternoon the problem was located with the impellor, and as I had, during the course of the investigations filled the holding tank almost to the top, a brand new pump - €200 - worth had to be bought (no impellors available - and anyway I was bored stiff with the whole thing), but what a relief! Then a new water supply pump seemed appropriate as the shower changed temperature from stone cold to scalding over 20 second cycles, and in spite of endless advice, appeared incurable. All oils were changed, of course, and filters - found filters supplied by Nanni agents on Isle of Wight wrong, and as it is over a year that I bought them, I don't have the chit. Spent a lot of time sitting reading and cursing the weather - apart from 2 brilliant days it was vile.
Spent time just starting to learn the nitty gritty of the domestic side of life as a single hander. It is no good working to all hours of the evening, and to exhaustion - food still has to happen! Still learning.
Somehow an unbelievable transformation has taken place in her internal economy - she has absorbed kit like a dry sponge, and looks quite reasonable inside! (The outside is dreadful!)
Hope to be off to-morrow Monday 16th down river Saône (damn things in flood - but should be a quick passage downstream to Fragnes on the Canal du Sentre just up from Chalons.
Weather still very iffy - and unbelievably cold!
ANYWAY - I am here - on Albert - HURRAH - and following a stupendous time in Australia over Christmas/New Year/January/February - Adventure 2006 appears to be about to take off.