We have a boat!

Shangri-La 2 – really our boat this time

Its starting to sink in – we have a boat! I have been very quiet the last few weeks, as the last time I leapt prematurely into print, I might have jinxed things as the deal fell through.

But now, we have had the survey and signed all the papers and Shangri-La 2 is ours.
Very scary.
I have owned dinghies and windsurfers, skippered many boats of different sizes, but never actually owned 15 tons of steel motor cruiser.
Although daunting – it’s exciting.

Start of lift out at survey

I have learned a huge amount, with still loads more to learn about buying and owning a boat.
She’s in Zwartsluis in Holland and is still out of the water after the survey. There are a few things to put right.
Next week I’m going back to Zwartsluis to spend a week on board learning how her systems work, as well as overseeing the repairs and improvements
I will also have to learn about preparing her for the winter.
Thats another rather tricky aspect for us – we live in South Africa and Shangri-La 2 is in Holland! Cant just pop over every few
days to check on her, so need to make sure she is properly wintered.

Up she comes!

We will start cruising in earnest next year March.
That’s all for now – I will try and cover all the stuff I have learned, and am learning – in future posts, as well as get back
to some French reminiscences, as those are the whole reason we bought the boat!
Please bear with me.