Almost There...........
Posted at 7:42 AM, Saturday, March 17, 2007
Well almost.
Have yesterday pleasantly hit year end company budgets spot on; got house now repainted and tided; thrown huge volume of accumulated junk to tip; all office type clothes to charity shops; two cars serviced and valeted; sorted out what clothes and ski stuff etc we'll leave easily available at sons for winter visits; and packed away almost all other household stuff ready for storage firm to come and take away.
So all we need worry about now over next 21 days until we get on big silver bird, is actually getting the house agent to act and find a tenant (just what do these guys do for their money?), sell the cars, ensure the stored stuff is uplifted and packed away safely, devise a plan to get what seems like a hundredweight of boat bits our into our luggage and past eagle eyed Turkish customs - and we're done.
Well almost.
Still of course, a round of farewells to fit in along the way - plus still have to sort my desk, help induct a few new staff, etc.
Like 150 people (many now good pals) in the company - and several do want to say farewell in a liquid kind of way.
Bye bye to extended family - mainly Sues - and some flying in (as if we are going for ever) to do so.
Closer family - ie sons and daughters in laws (and passing over copies of wills etc...he, he).
And of ocurse good pals - always the hardest drinkers and sure to give our livers a good work out before we carry them off to hit Turkey.
Somehow, I know, it will all get done. But me brains too soft to work out how.
Once we get to Kemer some real work will start. We've organised to slip Swagman earlier now the Russian trips been called of, as we've a small issue with water in a keel void we need to track down, cut out, bog and antifoul. As we've got the super cuprotect bottom on the boat - we're trying to sort a Turkish firm tore-apply this after our work - but if not possible may have to revert to good old Micron. Would be a shame if we do - but not really the end of the world.
But guessing it best if we stay off the boat when on the hardstanding - do need to source a close local hotel and now we're getting into true 'cruiser' mode, Sues beginning to make us run to a low budget. So maybe not another 5 star this time round! We'll see.
Still have to work out where we will fit the new ICOM SSB into the nav station. Spent ages 3 years back designing the nav station layout so it look like the dooggies bits - and some how got to get it all ripped out and redone with this huge radio / modem face incorporated as we put it all back. Should be very interesting.
Kemer pals have opend up Swagman in advance of our arrival to sadly find the little bung in the de-humidifier which is meant to redirect trapped water into the sink, had dropped out. Hence the units own tank got filled, and it promptly switched itself off. Guess this happened about last November!
So boat interior has severe dose of mildew. Apparently all over. The guys checking have said its not toooooo bad (which of course you would breaking this kind of news to two anally retentive pople who care about boat interior anda are 2,000 miles away) and they've (fabulously) taken all exposed linen and had it laundered. But it still has some black spots - so we'll see how bad it really is when we get out there.
Thinking about it, new linen could well wreck Sues budget before we've even started.
So anyway - 21 days to go - and we're off.
Yeeehaaaaaaa........
JOHN and SUE
{ add comment }