Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Adventures


Departure of Versailles 6 o'clock in the morning, arrival in Calais towards 9h30,it is raining cats and dogs!
Crossing in ferry,

with a good breakfeast!
Arrival under a radiant sun!! then drive on the left and arrived at Hampton on Thames, a place which charm, much boats on the river, narrow at this place.
Towards 12h30, call on the portable of the seller, no answer…
(the seller had envisaged us a one hour way i.e arrival at 11H 30!) ,

After several attempts, I succeeded in joining him, problem! it awaited us only next Monday?? the boat is not on the trailer, there is another on it! some work has to be done!

Rendez vous on a carpark and on the way towards the place where the hull is.
Arrival and first surprised, this hull is enormous!! much larger than I imagined it, small blow of anguish!!!!!

The hull being on hold, it is necessary to release the trailer and to slip it under the boat, and there second small blow of blues, the hull is deformed, makes some it remained months tightened by a strap on a trailer not adapted, result the stand of the trailer have deformed the hull towards the inside!

Discussion with the seller, who of course explains me that it is not serious, that the boat dried in this bad posture, but after a total immersion of a fifteen days all will be back .

I took the bet to trust him, the hull is very beautiful, even if as forecast there is repairs to do, and even if the seems to be be more serious that considered, we haven't do all this expedition for nothing!


Now it is necessary to fit the trailer with the boat, so that will damage it any more and that the transport will be safe!

After 2h in the mud and the oil of draining spread on the ground of the shelter, the boat laid on its keel and is well fixed laterally.

Now it is then necessary to achieve to the unpleasant operation: to pay!
For that, I must change my travellers into cash, therefore it is necessary to find a bank, the first one explains me that as the travellers do not come from their bank, there is a fee which should be paid !
Thus we leave to research a branch office my bank.
After some miles, we find it, it sound better, at least it was what I believed, in fact there were not the name of the bank on the travellers===> so fees! after long palaver, where in my more beautiful English with my passport, all my bank cards, chéque-book and others to prove that I am really a customer of this bank and that I do not have anything to pay…
Long deliberation of the counter clerk with her colleagues….
It is ok!, now, it is necessary to sign, date, to mark each traveller, then she must type on her keyboard the 3 numbers with 12 digits of each one, there are 35 of them!!!
I see Georges coming in the bank,(who had remained in the car with Joe, my seller, this one worries!) it is true that that must make 45 min well that I am in the bank!

Finally….

I recover an envelope with my bank notes, ouf!

This time all seems good, in fact not, the registration plate nicely lent by Patrice, has a too short cable! and the stores which sell some are with about fifteen miles, fortunately one of the people who helped us to put the boat on the trailer has an extension cable and he ok to sell it to us (15£!), checking of the lights and we go!

To drive with lading of more than 10m length, on the left, when one do not know the way, it is far from being obvious, but happily we got time, because fortunately there were no more room on the boat at 18h and I had to reserve on the one at 19 h30.
Joe having explained me that 1h to travel to him, 1h to return, the bank close to the boat, and a half hour to fix the trailor with the car, I would have any problem with a boat at 16h!!!!!!

Arrived in Dover at 18h15, pictures before the boarding



We are lucky, it remains room on the 18h30 one's, boarding.

Some problem of the harbour installation in Calais, after one hour and half of crossing, one announces 1h to us to be turned in round, which is transformed into one hour and half! Fish and chips on board, unboarding, 3h of motorway and parking, burst but pleased, with 2h of the morning on the place of weapons in front of the castle of Versailles, only possible place for my 10m length!!!!

This morning I have to move all this bazaar, but God how this hull is beautiful!!!
(to be followed)
Pale early morning

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home