 |
| A tight fit as the truck delivering Aylmer turns off Stanstead Abbots High Street to the marina. |
 |
| Phew! Made it - just! |
 |
| Gently does it. |
 |
| The day Aylmer was delivered was too windy for them to risk craning her into the water so she was laid up on the hard for the night. The boys from Aintree, who had driven down from Liverpool to do the hand over, came aboard and familiarised us with various features of the boat. They had presented us with flowers & champagne, so we toasted the boat and time passed quickly whilst we sipped our champagne and chatted until I noticed it was getting late. We waved goodbye to the boys & proceeded to load everything from the car to the boat so that when we returned in the morning for the yard to crane her into the water, she'd be all ready to go. After carefully locking up we got in the car & drove to the gate only to find both the barrier and the gate locked, the offices closed & the whole place in pitch darkness. They had all gone home & forgotten we were still there. Just as well we had brought a few provisions & had our bedding aboard. And so it was that our first night aboard Aylmer was spent on dry land. |
