GOODBYE FRIENDS

Monday was the day that I sadly said farewell to my friends Andy/Tina on NB Ytene as they are cruising to.........where they start work in a weeks time. We have been cruising together on and off since May 2006 after meeting at the Crick show and thinking as i type places coming to mind are Stratford, Llangollen,Wigan,Skipton, Chester, York and a hundred others in between.
Their reason for taking up boating, and I`ve heard many from boaters on my travels, was a change of lifestyle to slow down the pace of fast land life and why not a bit like someone taking extended leave. Anyway like myself they`ve not been a burden on the taxpayer these past years and have now decided to work for a while at a canal based site so the lifestyle will still be there in the background. Good luck to you both and I`ll call in as i cruise past.
Before Andy/Tina departed we spent the w`end blacking `YTENE` and she is pictured below coming out of the water resting on two trolleys being towed up into the shed. It was Friday first
thing and the idea was to jet wash off the hull and rub down the roughness of the waterline where the air and water causes most corrosion. Below is Andy supervising me and laughing as i remember when i mentioned how wet i was getting.
It was soon cleaned off and rubbed down and all that remained was to have another one of the
endless cups of tea supplied with a bacon sarnie by Tina and wait for the hull to be dry enough for the first coat of black bitumen.
With a coat on Friday and a second Saturday and Sunday an extra bit along the waterline it was done and all that remained was for Andy/Tina to finish the gloss on the gunnel`s.
Sunday night I was taken out for a Tai meal with wine and beers to follow but what made the evening was the company of them both. Thanks guys it was a magic evening.
After Sunday it was hard getting up on the Monday not hung over but the thought of `YTENE`


going back in the water and my friends sailing away. So there she goes back down the slipway
out under the marina bridge, and she does look smart eh. Below the hardest picture I`ve had to
put on this blog as it is of `YTENE` cruising away.
Bye for now, will pop in on you both as i cruise early next year.