Initial fitting out done and ready to go!

We had a lovely four days in Poitiers while Alubat sorted out some remaining issues and finally moved on board on Thursday 19th May, rather later than we had hoped.  Since then it hs been very hectic, with various fitters arriving to complete outstanding tasks while we were establishing ourselves.

Tony has been very busy fitting the electronics, which has involved installing conduits and threading cables through to the stern arch and instrument pod.  There have, perhaps inevitably, been a number of problems — for example it emerged that the VHF aerial mounting plate on top of the mast was in electrical contact with the mast through the fixing screws.  On this aluminium boat the hull and mast have to be electrically isolated.  So there were two trips up the mast to fix that.  It is a long way up compared with Santana, and a lot of winding for Ynskje!  We have had only one short trip out to sea with an electronics engineer to calibrate the electronic compass and the autopilot.  The last thing to be fixed by Alubat was achieved yesterday Saturday 28th!

On Friday 27th Nicole arrived by train to stay a couple of nights and bringing a needed cable from the UK.  Finally the instrumentation is all up and working!  Nicole has departed this morning, Sunday, and is at this moment driving our car back to Southsea.  The contrast with how the boat is now and how it was in-build is amazing – see the two pictures of the cabin above.

This afternoon we drive in a hire car to the airport at La Rochelle to pick up Stephen and another crew Mike for the passage back to Portsmouth.  We plan to name the boat with Champagne this evening.  We expect to leave tomorrow morning, Monday, at 6:30am.  Wish us bon voyage.