4th March
Well Adrian and I have been on Piedaleau for a week now and we’re beginning to feel more at home.
We have lots of things to do but we ain’t rushing!
We have invested in 2 main items …….. a TV and a new mattress for our bed! Just bought the latter yesterday and were both really pleased with our night’s sleep. Never fear the mattress on the guest bed is fine – we used that until we managed to buy our new one! We have the delights of a trip to the tip tomorrow to off load the unwanted one. We have actually jettisoned most of what the previous owners left on board – so much for their claims of ‘just bring your clothes and go off cruising’! most was absolute tat!!
We have now christened her well and truly by having 2 dinner parties!
Elizabeth and David were our first dinner guests – a little daunting cooking for a ‘chef’, with little known appliances – but it was great to return their hospitality and we toasted Piedaleau with a bottle of Moet et Chandon which Yves and Annalies presented us with when they visited the boat in January.
And then last night we invited Steven and Truus – a Canadian / Dutch couple whom we met in a restaurant last week! They are boat hunting having decided that they can no longer cope with blue water sailing. So we went with them to see a boat here in St Jean.
David and Elizabeth helped me organise a little birthday surprise for Adrian – David finished the new name boards and Elizabeth gift wrapped one for me so that Adrian had something to ‘open’ on his birthday. We all went to La Garaudiere for dinner.
And then the next day they came over and David (with a little help from Elizabeth) fixed the new boards in place. Looking really good!
We were able to stay 2 weeks on board doing various things – including our first joint boat service! Had to put our new found maintenance skills to the test!!
The weather improved vastly during this time so that on Tues 10th March we took Piedaleau out for our first trip – notably to the fuel barge but also for some maneuvering practice at the campsite pontoon. It was a stunning spring day and we both really enjoyed it although we have to remember to do everything very much more slowly than on Misty Morning. The bow thruster decided not to work as we came back into our mooring, which was a little challenging given the fact that she weighs around 30 tons and there are lots of plastic boats on the pontoon!
We came back home on the 12th March and we are now busily planning our return in mid April when the real fun will start – trip up the Canal du Bourgogne (242 kms and 179 locks) as a real shake down cruise!
Piedaleau 
