I should also mention that Susi's dad was here and we got the old outboard motor running - don't know where we will put it though. He also took a load of stuff to Susi's parents place and treated us to dinner. Thanks also to Susi's sister & family for helping us with cleaning and clearing the appartment. (Photo, from left: Tim, Pia, Susi, Andrea and Guido).

After working we found time to eat out with Susi's bro, sis and co and then took more stuff to the boat, which is allways interesting for Pia and Tim (Niece and Nephew).

Tonight is a bit of a celebration to mark the event of my 271st "click".

So cheers me deers. Keep your chins up, live for the day, and don't let the bastards grind you down. Until next time....

Waiting

.....for our new sails, which should have arrived mid-May. I think some sort of penalty clause should come into force!

.....for the surveyors report so that we can get insurance for the yacht.

Otherwise we have been busy sorting out our old life: clearing out the appartment, changing addresses, finishing auto insurance and other insurances and other irritating admin tasks (Susi, thank you for doing most of it! English red-tape is bewildering and petty enough, German is even worse!).

Now I'm waiting for my dinner!

Friend to the Stars

Last night was good: Susi was away visiting her mum and, after a successfull days work on the boat (jack-lines and harness clip-on points finished) I thought I would go for a swift beer before Susi returned at 10.

Susi texted me to ask if I wanted to meet her in a bar and, since I was allready sitting at a bar this seemed like a good idea. So in she walks to find me valiantly defending myself against the shameless attempts of some random woman to chat me up! Sometimes I wonder if she knows me a little too well as she was completely unphased, although the woman was a little flustered, I think.

Anyway, it's allways nice to get chatted-up, but that wasn't what I wanted to say. After we were left alone by "the predator" we were chatting and listening to "Wenn Jetzt Sommer Wär" (if it was summer now), a winter hit here in Germany, when Susi said she thought the guy standing at the bar was the singer of the song. So I asked the bargirl if she could tell me who sings this song and she replied loudly and proudly: "Yeah, this dude. He's my ex!" and I raised my glass to Ingo Pohlmann, who seemed very chuffed to be recognized! As we left Pohlmann was still singing along to his own album.

Goodbye Reeperbahn

It was a bit lonely on the boat in the rain and with Susi away on Friday, so I thought it would be nice to have a coffee in a cafe. Before too long I got "beer thirst" and, to cut a short story even shorter, ended up on the Reeperbahn. A final stroll down the "street of windows" a final beer or three and one last chance to turn down the "working girls" (yes, Susi, I did turn them down!).

No pictures from that evening - but that's probably for the best!

Goodbye Party

I won't go into details here as I think the photos say it better than I can (if you were at the party you should know the photos password, if not please ask Susi or me).

I would just like to say thanks again to everyone - we had a fantastic time. Vielen, vielen dank, es war echt super!!

just quickly then...

Quick update:

We did go sailing on my b'day! (thanks for all the best wishes left for me in the comments field by the way, it makes it all worthwhile). We didn't crash or burn so I'm deeming it a success!

The weather forecast for the next few days does not look condusive to sailing so I'm glad we took the chance when we had it, in fact it must have been the calm before the storm as ever since it's been blowing a hooly and raing on and off. I may even stay on land tonight since we still have the appartment until the end of the month.

Will regail you all with tales of my trip up the mast and our goodbye party (including the tale of the wet T-shirt) next time, when I have the photos to accompany - so stay tuned and untill next time, adios amigos.

Arrr, Jimlad, shiver me dodgy dental work!

The past week the wind has been Easterly (perfect for our plans of heading West). Yesterday and today it backed to North and then West - come back Easterly wind! I want to go sailing.

God I'm bored of doing blogs and e-this and e-that - I'm off for a beer!

Cheers me dears

Electrickary. Solar panal also wired in. Tomorrow is turn-on day. Saionara! Or something.

Check it out!

Feeling a bit sunburnt, but I'm not complaing! Work is progressing well. Check this out!

The mast, it stands!!

The erection was rather hard, but with a helping hand from Helmut, we pulled it off!!

and here's one of Parsley - for all you tomcats out there:

And here's one for the ladies:

Into the Blue

Well, the grey murkey water of Hamburg anyway - tomorrow! The outboard bracket is finally on (the 2nd bracket, the first one was not up to the job) and it's time to put her in the wet stuff. I hope she floats!! I shall stay on her the first night to make sure she's ok - and will probably move onboard pretty much straight away.

Susi and I had an enforced break in England to attend my brothers wedding - I was the best man. I will repeat that (I did often enough during the day), I was the BEST man. It was a really good day and most of us enjoyed it well into the early hours.

Here's a picture of my bro and his new wife, more boat orientated pictures are on the photo page.