We are still in Migennes…….
When Simon suggested we could stay to paint the outside of the boat it seemed like a good idea. But we are still here. And nowhere near finished painting. Although my hands, knees and back are complaining that enough is enough!
We would like to complete the full first coat and then get out of here. Then perhaps moor up somewhere quiet and carry on with a second coat when we have recovered. We have a couple of problems here – either too hot (got up to 35’c) which makes the paint unhappy, or lots of little black flying things which makes us very unhappy! They seem to be particularly attracted to the cream colour and to the pungent smell of our paint. Bloody annoying when they literally fly in front of your roller or land on your newly applied paint. Makes it look like Piedaleau has the measles and makes Adrian growl……..
An American guy called Cris Hammond described it as growling which I thought very appropriate. He was here with his boat and stopped for a chat a few times. Even lent us his book on knots and splicing (‘oh still my beating heart’ I hear you cry!). Yep, I’ve taught myself some basic rope splicing – ready to attach the posh new f… off barge fenders! My OT friends will be particularly impressed – specially when I say that it reminded me of our first day at St Andrew’s College of OT when we had to cord knot ourselves a scissor cord to loop onto our uniform belts. The things that memories are made of….
I digress. Anyway, over a beer or two with a couple of Kiwi couples, we discovered that Cris is an artist and an author.
We duly downloaded his book – From Here to Paris – onto our kindles. What a delight! – absolutely sums up this whole boating in France thing, the joys and tribulations. His comments about his experience at h2o and the characters involved, are brilliant. Can soooo relate to that!
He also has much to say about Migennes, which he refers to as ‘Gulag Parfitt’. Since he wrote it there has been a change of owner – it ain’t that bad under Simon – and Cris has left his boat here again for work to be done. But I was reminded of his comments today when we were chasing Simon to get our final bits done and put us back in the water – he joked that maybe his crane wasn’t big enough to lift us now we’ve had the fuel tank filled ……..
That was an interesting challenge. The fuel tank supposedly holds 2000 litres of diesel. I used to often trundle backwards and forwards to supermarket garages with me fuel cans to fill Misty Morning. Not no more – Adrian sourced a fuel delivery firm and we had a tanker come on site to top us up with the odd 1300 litres. Not cheap, but we certainly got a much better deal that way! And the tank isn’t as big as we were told.
So we have both read and enjoyed this book and had a jolly good laugh at some of the anecdotes. A form of vicarious cruising which has served to remind us of why we are doing all this
…… but first that involves being lifted back into the water!!!!
One of the New Zealand couples left last week (after starting out and then coming back again a couple of times because of ongoing engine trouble – Simon joked that he had tied a long piece of elastic to their stern) and we went over to see them at Joigny. A lovely evening with Tony & Sue, watching the sunset over the river and the church up on the hill opposite.
So another bout of vicarious cruising, reminding us again as to why we’ve bought this boat here in France and making us determined to …….
…….get back in the water!!!!!
As I finish this post, it is now Weds & Laurent is here! doing our final bits and pieces. Don’t hold your breath but I hope my next blog will a floating blog…..
Piedaleau 