The eagle has landed

Snork Maiden,
Marans Boat Yard
Friday, May 9, 2008

It always takes about 24 hours to settle in, write lists, get electricity and water on board. When she’s in the water, it’s fairly easy, but out of the water everything changes. Land is not her element. Everything has to be carried up a ladder or hauled up on a jib sheet. The toilet doesn’t work (no water, no exit) and any wastewater has to chucked into the bushes behind me. When I arrive, the lockers are all open, upholstery upended everywhere to minimise damp in the winter.
The good news – the boat is fairly dry, and clean. The bad news – none of the jobs agreed with the yard have been finished and only one has been started and now it’s a fete or ferie or something for 3-4 days, (something to do with Ascension Day, which I suppose is quite important if you’re a Christian.) More bad news, the yard’s hose is about 5m too short to reach the boat, so cleaning has to be done with a bucket. But it’s pretty quiet here, just birds just now, and France Inter for passive learning of the language.
Cooking on the boat is a pain (see water problems) and so I treated myself to a lunch of scallops and mussels yesterday. I think there were half a kilo of scallops; a big change from the fingers-of-one- hand, costs an-arm-and-leg menus of the UK.
Aah! I have just been for a brisk morning bike ride to the loo – around 0.5 Km down the road. Now a second cup of tea and shortly down to the lists. List of things to do. List of things to buy to do the list of things to do. List of things I forgot to pack. List of things that Al needs to buy/collect for the boat (short) and list of clothes that Al needs to buy for himself (long).
Kettle whistles (essential on a boat) and I think about Sally – her present to the boat. Yes – Gillian, I do think of you every day when I make salad. France Inter is doing film reviews at 0925.