1st September. Set to work on final laundry, final clean up of the boat and wintering. Kept checking the e-mail during the course of the morning and at last heard from Andy & Richard that they are interested in buying the boat. There followed a flurry of e-mails and phone calls. Nikki arrived and we loaded up and set off. When we stopped for lunch I called the broker to say that I wouldn’t be placing the boat with them. Got down to Wells shortly after 5pm and Jon made a terrific prawn curry. Dearest Charlotte has tidied her room and given me her bed.
2nd September We all went off to Cheddar Gorge and had a good walk over the top. Had lunch back in the village. The deposit for the boat sale went into my account today so we opened a bottle of fiz to celebrate.
9th September Following a lovely week with family in Wells I took the train up to Lichfield and thence to the boat at King’s Bromley. I managed to get to Great Hayward today and will make an early start for Aston tomorrow.
10th September. Moored up on the pillings ready to be taken out of the water for the survey tomorrow. The buyer, Andy, arrives at about 2pm.
11th September. The survey went to plan, Andy arrived on time and we concluded our business at the bank. Then followed the slow train journey to Chertsey via, Stafford, Reading, Virginia Water and finally Chertsey by 9pm!
14th September. Nita took me through to Bisham Abbey Sailing School this morning to take the CEVNI exam and do the boat handling test for the International Certificate of Competance, both of which are a requirement for skippering your own boat in France. Needless to say hirers have not such requirement! Passed them both but discovered that I also need a VHF licence. There is a cource on the 2nd Oct and if there is availability on it I will delay my departure till a day or two after that and get it done. Kevin and Nita are super relaxed about my staying on with them even though they are in total chaos with the builders re constructing their dowstairs! I am truely blessed where my friends are concerned.
17th September. Six trains and an expensive taxi ride and I was ringing the bell of Les Charmilles Bed & Breakfast in St. Jean de Losne. Although it had been a long day I had some trouble getting off to sleep.
18th September. Had a little wander through this very small town and down to the river before heading off to the canal and the offices of H2O. Then followed a day of confusion and frustration. I looked at countless boats and was no nearer to making an offer at the end of the day than I was at the start. There were even two “Carpe Diem”s but the name alone was not enough.
St. Jean de Losne, morning and evening light.
19th September. Another restless night thinking about how I might modify one of the boats I had looked at. Looked at two additional boats and revisited another. Did some talking to Catherine in the Office and to some other boaters on the pontoon and it became evident that I would find single handed on the French waterways easier on a barge than on a cruiser. This made a nonence of everything I had been told in England and had me wondering if I might not have been better hanging onto Carpe Diem! However I have always fancied a Dutch Barge and “Libertè” is quite cute. At 11m9 x 3m10 she is not huge and can negotiate all the waterways in France, Belgium and Holland. She is a venerable old lady having been built in 1910 and has been lovingly cared for by Americans, Stewart and Judy, for the last fourteen years. I want to have quite a lot done and spen an hour this evening with the workshop manager going through possibilities for which he will give me a quote. I have signed a contract and paid a deposit and must now arrange for a survey but it can all be done long distance from here on so I will head back to UK tomorrow.
26th September. Back in Uk and staying with Kevin, Nita and Conor in Chertsey. Getting all the ducks in a row for the purchase of “Libertè”, survey, insurance etc. Have delayed my departure to Cape Town to the 3rd Oct to facilitate my getting my VHF licence on the 2nd. Meantime had a good day with cousin Susan and a great night out last night with Sarah and Mel. On the weekend I met Jan and Alfie in Kingstone for lunch but forgot to take the camera!
capetocarpe 