Monday 30 September 2013

DELIVERY OF AYLMER Dec 2011

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.


3 comments:

  1. Excellent, glad you have started your blog, we shall look forward to following you with interest. xx

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  2. Hi Janet and Tony
    Found your blog after reading Maffi's one. Welcome to blogland and Chris and I will look forward to reading about your travels with interest. Perhaps we'll meet out on the cut one day.
    regards
    Steve and Chris
    nbAmyJo

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    Replies
    1. Hi Steve & Chris, Sorry not to have replied before but I have only just returned to our blog (narrowboat Aylmer). I started it when I thought we were going to retire last year but the business took longer to sell than we antisipated. However we are now free spirits and have embarked on our first long term cruise. We hope to be out until September. Have had a quick glance through your blog and enjoyed what I've read so far.

      Love the look of your boat, great colour choice.

      Hope to see you on the cut sometime.

      regards
      Jan.

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