Getting splashed then down and dirty

Oh how hard it is to get up with an alarm call. We've said it before and think this just proves that we could not go back to proper jobs again... Still, this was an important one - getting to Shamrock Quay to disconnect the umbilical cord (shorepower) and get the boat ready for relaunching. The lift in was very gentle and completed with no drama. Of course, the crew always has a major pulse rate issue when the boat is in the air, hanging from some straps that always look too small to hold 40 tons but could actually manage twice that:

Even worse is when she is both aloft and being moved about:

Leaving Shamrock was fun - backing out between some large boats with the tide and wind really trying to make it hard. A point of honour was to do it without any thruster use so the rubbernecking people on the pontoons could see that single engine Nordhavn boats do handle properly. A nice grey gloomy short trip to the Hamble River and then onto the big events pontoon which will be our home for a few days. The marina is home to the Nordhavn Europe office and the pontoon had 2 resident 47s and a brokerage sales boat, a 43 on it already. We have always called this spot the "Nordhavn orphanage". Hope our boat doesn't think she is being abandoned! Here is the view from our side deck:

Alongside us is another 47, Rose E, owned (spookily) by someone that the crew used to work with in Toys R Us, which berths here. The next boat is a 43 "Wandering Star" that is up for sale. Remember the people we chatted to in Weymouth - this is the boat they were considering. In the distance is another 47 that lives here. Rare to see so many together. If you read our post about Craobh Haven last summer and add in these 3, then you have seen a very high percentage of the UK based Nordhavn boats!


After paying the eye watering MDL berthing fees we started to get things organised. Tea and cake with the Nordhavn guys, recovering the hire car courtesy of Phil Roach who kindly gave the captain a lift to Shamrock Quay and then a  big wash off. When boats have been out of the water, the decks etc get incredibly grubby and usually smothered in grit from the hardstanding area. Of course, we had a double whammy. Not only was she grubby but some of the upper surfaces had black water spot shaped marks on them. Lovely, especially as many were on the areas we had already polished. Some serious elbow grease is needed as they will not wash off. Maybe contamination from the planes that were flying over us heading for Southampton airport? If so, thank you very much Mr Flybe.

That put us off a lift at Shamrock next year - although everyone was very good and helpful if the marina is pollution central and we have more cleaning to do as a result.... Needs investigating!