Monday 29th August 2022
We had a week till launch day when a RYA Instructor Garry had hired for 5 days will turn up help us put the boat into water, go through some systems on the boat and be there for support whilst we adjust to sailing our new yacht.
After spending days cleaning, polishing, preparing Missy for launch day. Avoiding the mosquitoes, sorting through the boat trying to work out what everything was on board as most things were French stuff, thankful for google translate.
We applied the Missy art work on to the boat we had bought with us, Alan Mitchinson from Engraving & Sign Solutions had made for us.
Garry made the front bed bigger so we did not have to sleep across the width of boat making more room for me and more storage at bottom of bed.
I made a list of things we thought we needed to buy Food, Bottled Water, Canned food, Cheese for Stuart as you can’t have too much cheese apparently, Biscuits, Coffee, Milk and Tea Bags essential for Garry to exist. Fuel for outboard, alternator belt, impeller, fuel and oil filters.
On completion of boat sale the old owners had committed to changing the Starter Battery, Bow Thruster Battery and replacing a through hole on back toilet whilst also reactivating the copper coat.
As it turns out the only successful thing they did was replace the starter battery. They had replaced the wrong through hole, only replaced one out of two bow thruster batteries and when re activating the copper coat they managed to sand most of the copper coat off the boat.
The very happy to help Valerie from Med’ in Boats suddenly was not available to chat about the work her man had got wrong… but we were on a time schedule to get boat in water and not speaking French was forced to pay 3,000 euros to put the copper coat back on. Lesson learnt keep back 10% of boat sale money until the promised work is completed.
The launch day was here, Chris had arrived the boat launch time was 4 pm so plenty of time for Chris to go through boat systems with us, change alternator belt and diesel filter as he saw fit. I pointed out depth/speed sensor needed to be put in to Chris and he left it in vinegar to clean.
Before we knew it marina staff arrived with the large crane vehicle thing to pick boat up and put in water. The speed this happened was frightening, in the water we were, floating on the water. I went downstairs to check for leaks and one big one was happening, Chris had not put the sensor back into its hole so water was flooding in, one quick way to sink your shining new boat.