Sunday 1 May
In the hopes of getting Forever absolutely perfect we decided to re-paint the three blue stripes, one around the cockpit and the other two on the hull. This was my project so I got started with the cockpit stripe and spent all day Friday putting masking tape along the edges and then sanding down the old paint. On Saturday morning (having totally forgotten about the Royal wedding which we missed) I applied the first coat of blue paint before we went to market and then in the afternoon I applied the second coat. Exhausted, but pleased as punch I removed the tape in the early evening and discovered I’d used the wrong tape - the blue paint had bled through and streaked both UP AND DOWN into the white gelcoat! I actually sat on the deck and cried as I seriously thought I’d ruined the boat. Mike had gone for a couple of beers with another chap so I was glad to be alone for my little breakdown. It took me positively ages to get all the tape off – nasty paper stuff got stuck to the gelcoat and wouldn’t come off – snivelling all the while. Mike eventually came home and I braced myself for a well-deserved bollocking. However, he was a little pissed and therefore not as shocked as he might have been. He took it in rather good spirit, gave me a bit of friendly support and then toddled off for a shower. Still feeling totally sick but relieved he hadn’t gone ballistic, I decided to try my best to remove the streaks and imagine my surprise when they almost all came off with a little scrubbing with paint thinner. I couldn’t believe it. I was worried the paint would set overnight and it wouldn’t come off the next day so I ploughed on in the dark that evening determined to do a good job. Mike returned from the shower more sober and pleased the disaster had been resolved. I went to bed soon after supper physically worn out and in a funk of depression at my own stupidity. After a good rest with no work all morning, I continued the job today, lightly sanding a few areas where a bit of blue shadow was left on the gelcoat and I must say it looks immaculate. As Patrice would say - ‘impeccable’. I am so very pleased.
For his part, Mike has been very innovative in repairing a piece in the engine that is no longer available. Otherwise, the poor chap continues with sanding the antifouling. Patrice’s man came to take back the electric sander, then the next day we were told it has broken and gone in for repair. So, in the interim he is working by hand. It is horrible and exhausting.
I have finished the rudder and started a bit of repair work on the gelcoat. The gelcoat on Forever is a soft creamy colour and the repair kit I have is bright startling white. There’s nothing to be done about it but it is a shame as the little repaired bits will stand out. Today I made templates to protect the name “Forever” and the gold printed “HR 352” on the sides of the boat within the main blue stripe. Tomorrow I start to sand the blue and then I will paint it. This time I have bought the correct masking tape.
The marina is beginning to fill up and there are a lot more people floating around, particularly with children and teenagers and there are lots of dogs about. But still, there are not a lot of liveaboards and we miss our Swedish friends on Pinta, who sent an email recently from Corsica. However, we have become matey with a very nice French couple, Jean Pierre and Jacqueline on Gayatri, four boats down and they have invited us for cocktails tomorrow – they both speak excellent English.
Normally when yachties find themselves living next door the two boats become friendly and end up sharing beers or meals and assisting each other with work, or at the very least they exchange pleasantries on a regular basis. We have a French Swiss couple living on the next boat, younger than us, both tall and slim with long dark hair tied back in a loose sort of bun. She, Mara, is charming and friendly and has started with every indication of being a lovely neighbour. He, on the other hand and whose name we still don’t know, wants absolutely nothing to do with us. We think that perhaps he doesn’t like the English because he seems friendly enough with other people. It is bizarre, and the first time we’ve had such a neighbour in eight years aboard. In fact, the French generally are an amiable and friendly bunch. Everyone here greets everyone else, all the time. People who pass our boat, and most folk do as we are very central, look up and make eye contact, smile and sing ‘bonjour’. Even young kids whizzing past you on a bike will make eye contact and sing ‘bonjour’. With the notable exception of our neighbour, we all do it no matter who we are talking to. I laugh to think that we English unwittingly sing ‘bonjour’ to each other, as do the other nationalities.
I cycled into town today on my bike and when I got to the lock I dismounted and waited as there was a cyclist coming along the narrow path across the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. When he reached my side this courtly old gentleman with a Charles Boyer moustache nearly fell off his bike lifting his hat in a salute. He gave me an enchanting smile and said “Bonjour Madame et merci beaucoup.” The sort of thing that totally makes your day.
Finally, I have to admit that Mike is using the ladies showers! Ha ha. He says the water temperature in the men’s is ridiculous – either boiling hot or cold. So now we know. I presume the office has been told but no one cares.
Tuesday 3 May
We had a very nice evening with Jean Pierre and Jacqueline, and ended up staying for dinner. Sadly, for us, they are leaving today for Savoie where they have a small farm in the mountains. They grow all their own vegetables during the summer – just like we plan to do.
They will be driving back to Port Saint Louis in the middle of June and we have made tentative plans for them to stop and join us somewhere on the Rhone, as we hope we will already have begun our river trip by then.
Saturday 7 May
I have finally finished the second blue stripe and it looks fantastic. My templates for the name “Forever” and the gold HR352 on each side were perfect so it looks very professional if I say so myself. So, that’s two down and one to go. The bottom stripe along the water line should be the easiest as it is a straight bar with no interruptions and I can work from ground level. Working from scaffolding is a real strain. I have also finished smoothing the epoxy filler on the rudder and it’s ready for priming and painting. Yesterday I cleaned out the forward water tank, checked and oiled all the sea cocks, oiled the windlass motor and scrubbed the bathroom. Today I started sanding the teak toe rail and was using Patrice’s electric sander. However, Mike thought Patrice may not be happy so I phoned him and he said he’d rather I didn’t use it for wood. Very disappointed, I did a bit more by hand but it is extremely tiring and I don’t know if I have the courage to do the whole thing. My ‘carpal tunnel syndrome’ has reared its ugly and painful head again and I know it is all the sanding. I have no fingerprints left on my fingers! It’s a pity – the bit I’ve done looks great. Perhaps if I have a long rest now I will feel stronger later. There is still the job of polishing the white gelcoat – groan. However, when the gelcoat is polished and the three stripes are all the same blue colour, the boat will look brand new.
Mike continues with the awful job of sanding the antifouling and is slowly making headway. The electric sander has never come back so he continues to work by hand. He’s completed the repair of the internal cooling system on the engine and replaced the coolant and he’s repainted the engine. It looks very fine. We still have to do the external cooling system and then we will be ready to try and start the engine.
Mike’s buddy, Jean Luc, who was in the French navy for years, came round for dinner last night and downloaded the free navigation software called CPN from various dvds he had. It includes charts of the whole world and we are delighted to have that. I had a similar program on my old computer but didn’t know how to transfer it to this new computer, and now I don’t have to bother. After chatting with Ulla and Lennart about Sweden, we are quite tempted to head north and do some sailing around Sweden and Norway. They say the summers are wonderful and there are literally thousands of little islands one can cruise around. It’s a thought anyway.
I had a nice long chat with my sister Pairose today. The previous day she had attended the reading of the final report on the Inquest into the London bombings on 7 July 2005 when the lovely Jamie, her son and our nephew, was so tragically killed. A necessary part of the legal process, the Inquest has been a trying business for bereaved loved ones yielding new and not always welcome information. There are some who still have questions, but for my sister it is a chapter she is glad to close.
Sunday 8 May
Mike has gone to the beach today and I am having a rest day. We’ve had a hard south wind for days but today it is pleasantly calm – still very sunny and warm. The internet connection in the restaurant is rather erratic and I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t posted anything. But I will try today - hurrah, I have succeeded.
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