Halton Ocean

Well that’s it. I am as ready as I can be.

The last week or so has been the usual frantic push to get everything ready in time (hence the lack of blogs this week) but, to be fair, has not been as tight as in previous years. The season seems to be later this year, certainly it is the first time for a good while that I have not worked Easter but it is also a reflection of the growing maturity of the boat. This will be the fifth summer with the H so most of the major structural changes have been made and I am now just adding refinements.

There is a second compressor going on the boat, awiating a drive engine, that will be installed in the evenings. I broke a valve cover on the primary compressor yesterday afternoon so had to ring south for parts to be sent up asap: fortunately Royal Mail came up trumps and the bits were here by lunch today. The compressor is still a bit slow but seems to be running ok otherwise.

Had a final clean of the engine room, did the last of the mucky jobs and then took all the paint, tools and other unwanted shite off the boat for another year. Next spring I will be pulling unwashed brushes and manky tins of paint from the recesses of the garage that I have just flung them today, wishing that just for once I would put them away properly. I cursed myself this year an no doubt will do the same again next year.

Took the boat for a quick spin just to warm the old girl up (and to let the JE tie up on the inside) in preparation for Sunday.

Checked round the accommodation. It is a good feeling when all the carpets go back down, the beds get made, everything is clean and ready for punters to arrive. It took me a couple of days to clean the boat ready for JM to come down and clean the boat ready for punters! All the dust from sanding the walls before they get varnished and a million other grubby jobs all accumulates and needs a good spring clean to eradicate. It is fitting that today is the Queen’s 80th as she would feel right at home on the H with it smelling of new paint and cleaning stuff.

Last job: home to prepare the skipper for punters. Quick trim up top to cut all the bits of paint, cement and other wildlife from the thatch and to be presentable ready for arriving divers.

The season will no doubt be full of twists, turns, scares, adventures, calamities and exhilaration but there is little more I can do now in preparation. The die is set. I am ready to do what I do.

I am on the eve of a season.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 21st, 2006 at 9:18 pm and is filed under Day to day doings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.