2006

BACK TO CALENDAR 2006

 

23 April to 7 May 2006 - still in Montchanin on the Canal du Centre.    

 

This will need to be a composite of some 2 weeks - sorry to do this - but the fortnight has been a dull one for anyone not actually involved with doing things to, rather than with, boats - and probably dull to them as well.   A lot seems to have happened, the time has passed incredibly quickly, at times exhaustion seemed to be prevailing but am looking forward to our departure - hopefully - early next week, and anyway, boy scouts don't cry.

 

By the way - do readers appreciate that by hovering the cursor over the pictures - it will change to a hand with a pointing forefinger - the photo number and title will appear in a little box next to the hand.   Because of the vagaries of this machine capitals and spaces are forbidden - but there it is for what it is worth!

 

The last log finished with our arrival at Montchanin boatyard on the Sunday afternoon.

 

During the next/last fortnight Albert and I:-

Waited a bit - 2 or 3 days.

Were winched up the slipway on the bed of an ex road trailer (at a speed of 15 metres per hour - the winch is heavily geared down).

Blasted a thick accumulated layer of caked weed  off Albert's sides with a water pressure gun,

Wire brushed the sides with a wire brush - an electric one - to remove residue.

Treated rust patches - considering the last 2 to 3 years not a lot - with Owatrol.

Blacked sides with revolting black tar-like bituminous jelly stuff - really hard, slow, boring dirty work, this - 4 to 5 coats,

Repainted stern flashes - red below and white (cream in our case) above - 1 under and 2 top coats.

Waited another 2 or 3 days.

Were relaunched.

 

Except for the slipping this was all, as is the custom, DIY - me!  

Poor Albert was pretty dirty before, but what with the pressure washing, which blasted all the dirt upwards coating topworks and roof with filth,  the wire brushing,  the breeze picking up rubbish from the factory upwind of us and depositing it on us,  the same breeze picking up dirt from the  scrap yard within which we lay and doing the same with it,  me walking backwards and forwards through the cabin in very dirty overalls - latterly things inside the boat were getting very squalid indeed.

 

However, we were "released" on Friday, and a start has been made on getting her cleaned up.

 

Regretfully, the topworks - her lovely smart green and blue and cream superstructure - has faded badly and looks distinctly tatty.   We "Teecutted" the paint the year before last, but it has gone too far even for that now, and a re-paint is vital.   We always did the cream roof and the black gunnels ourselves, so as soon as I find a nice mooring with grass - as opposed to gravel waiting for it's dust to blow onto our wet paint - those jobs are well up on the agenda. 

 

A start has already been made on the inside of the cockpit - grey 

 

The remaining fancy coloured painting on the topsides will be "considered" thereafter.

 

1.4 23 April to 7 may 2006