Afloat once more

                                                        Migennes, 19th May 2022

After three weeks of cleaning, painting, re-stocking and a long list of tasks, 

            we are finally afloat.     Antiope has come to life once more.

30 Months have passed since Antiope was last in these slings. 

To our delight we have found that our home away from home has survived well without us, even the                   box of walnuts that we picked the week before leaving in 2019 were edible.

            After having done the engine checks they both started on the first turn of the keys.

Over the past few weeks we have made new friends, from many parts of the world, all of whom have                          their lockdown stories to tell and their own boats to clean and fit out.  

The pre-launch and a sort of post-covid celebration boatyard party. 

Simon Evans, the one in the centre with the bright blue Aussie shirt, has suddenly found his boatyard overun with owners all wanting work done and their boats back in the water. Simon and his team work tirelessly away on tasks ranging from 'blacking' the bottom of a near new 20m Piper dutch barge to fixing a leaking rivet on a century old live aboard barge yacht. It is wise however to be a patient owner. 

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Me, antifouling the rudders before re-fitting.

We have had a persistant problem over several seasons with our nylon rudder bearings binding up in hot weather. Hopefully now, having dropped the shafts and making some some 'adjustments', Annie will be happier taking the helm again!   

We take time out to visit a Brocante fair in the village of Old Migennes

A sort of car boot sale spread over the day, and the whole village, 

a carnival atmosphere, just magic on a spring day. 

Another day trip out to Sens and the market.

Market halls in 'Sens'

We try to take a regular day off from work on Antiope. On week two we take the train to 'Sens' for market day. 

Since arriving we have had great weather, clear skies and almost too hot at times. We are certainly enjoying this early summer weather,  

21st May, underway at last, for a short 'seatrial' run down the Yonne river to Joigny

Moored up in our favourite spot at Joigny for a BBQ

Springtime on the river.

Work on Antiope has kept us busy and me off the keyboard. Hopefully this blog will be more regular as we start cruising again. 

Cheers, Charles and Annie.

 

The Long Sleep over !

Antiope has been waiting patiently

On the morning of 26th April
and only hours after Annie and I had stepped off the plane we are in the boatyard at Larroche-Migennes. At some time during her two and a half year sleep Antiope had changed her nightie !   Simon Evans who owns the boatyard had replaced our lightweight green hardware store quality tarps when they had rotted in the sun and finally blown off in a storm. In the past these 'Baches' had been quite adequate for the usual six months that we are away. 

Our long absence had fueled our imagination of the condition we might find Antiope, To our delight and surprise, when we pulled back the covers everything was exactly as we had left it, but for a thick grey layer of dust on deck. inside the cabin all was dry and relatively clean, A box of walnuts gathered beck in October 2019 were still sitting on the table and quite edible. 

 

Covers off !

Day two and on a warm spring day we can start to dismantle the frame, and take stock of what needs to be done. Watch this space !

 We had saved up and flown with Emirates business class, two stops to Paris from NZ, we took the complimentary chauffeur ride direct to Bercy rail stn, then 1.5 hours on the train, a short walk to our familiar campsite cabin, which is nearby the boatyard, The whole journey was quite painless despite having to wear masks on plane and train. So far we are feeling much less of the usual 'jet lag'  We also seem to have eluded the Covid bug despite the multi-national crowding at immigration control and baggage claim.

We did our first big shop yesterday, where mask wearing is now optional. Our trolly load of groceries was probably 10% cheaper than it would been in NZ. It feels great to be back in France again.

Cheers Charles and Annie