|
Steve T
United Kingdom
88 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 20:38:26
|
After a pre-dawn start, and having collected my son for assistance, we finally headed off to Shardlow Marina to collect our Norman 23.
Arriving at 8.30am, we found "Tony Tugboat" already there parked on the slip as arranged.
Half an hour on, and "Adelicia" was paid for and on the trailer.
Tony spent a good 45 minutes checking, preparing and checking everything again ready for the journey, whilst me and offspring applied the Dilunett to the four signwritten names on the hull.
Much careful scraping later with sharp craft blades and lots of blue, smelly cloths, and another coat of Dilunett for the trip and we were away to The Broads.
Back in the County of the Big Sky we spent a chatty hour or so with our new mooring yard owner before heading to the Tingdene Marina slipway where Tony and Adelicia had just arrived.
Twenty minutes more careful scraping, another twenty of hand cutting with "G7" and a final buff and we were ready for the new vinyl lettering.
Tony had now finished re-fendering and re-connecting and the now-named "Angel Chariot" was subjected to a quiet and embarrsaing explanation of the name change and onto the slipway she went.
Crack the bubbly, get Tony's trailer back in one bit and started her up for a few minutes warm up.
The sun obliged perfectly and gave us 30 minutes of warming, enough to pootle up the river to check the handling at different speeds, and then back to it's new home in Willow Marina.
Can't walt 'til the weekend to have an extended run to see how far the first pub is by river.
Conclusions:
1) Tony Tugboat is to be highly recommended - prompt, reliable, knowledgeable and so, so helpful. Not stupid money either. Google him, my pictures should be up by the weekend.
2) Dilunett is amazing on several coats of old paint - without affecting the gelcoat.
3) We have a whole lot to learn!!
More adventures posted later.
Cheers
Steve |
|
Afloat at last!
