When friends need help... part 1

 .....Help is given. Since coming back on Tuesday evening after the funeral of Annette, our good friends Lynda and Tony's daughter, who lost her battle with pancreatitis after a lengthy stay in hospital, we received a text asking for help. Even before speaking to Marilyn and David we had an inkling that it was to do with their boat Waka Huia. Being in the perfect spot to stay for at least 14 days, and with the hire car company not far, we awaited the promised phone call on the Wednesday. Sure enough the cry for help came because they had been let down by the Debdale staff with the promised work to the boat unable to go ahead for another week or so. This was going to be completed before going on brokerage at ABNB North Kilworth.  To be fair to Debdale, the staff had taken on a vast amount of work and I think they just took on more than they could chew, hence the wait. So with that cry for help from Marilyn and David, we were only too pleased to be of service.

Hire car organised for Thursday and with a two-day hire, it was agreed that a night would be spent on Waka Huia while Ian did the work necessary.  A list was made by myself to remember bedding, milk, bread, cereal, phones, laptop etc oh and of course clean undies for two days! Waka Huia had been stripped of towels and tea towels but everything else including tool box, plates and utensils, life jackets, chairs etc and an array of boating spares were still on board. In fact the new owners will be amazed at what was left for them, Put it this way, the boat would be ready to move onto complete with everything other than bedding and towels that anyone would need. 

We arrived about midday, shown by a lovely lady Rachel where to park the car and more important, where Waka Huia was. Keys given and as I unloaded the car, Ian was already looking at the list of things to be completed.

So the list comprised of:- 

• Oil change
• Place heart shaped decals on the slide of the side hatch and one on the gas locker.
• Rub down the paint on the bow so the the new decals would cover the existing painted ones.
• Check a few bits and bobs on the engine.
• Pump out and diesel to be done by Debdale.
  
• Take boat to North Kilworth to go onto brokerage
  

Putting the decals of hearts on the side hatch slide and gas locker were the first thing to be done. They went on relatively easily.

As to the decals on the bow, well we tried placing them in several ways, and discovered that they were too short to cover the original paintwork. That was a big blow but easily sorted by rubbing even more of the original paintwork off! Of course, with M&D being across the other side of the World and as it was about 2.30 in the morning NZ time, all I could do was WhatsApp in readiness for someone to pick up the message when they awoke. A reply came back VERY quickly. It was David, he was already awake but the decision as to how they wanted them placed had to be made by them both. With some trepidation by David, Marilyn was woken up....we could hear a bleary voice asking what was the matter. After a minute or two, photos were sent and even in both their sleepy state, decisions were made,

No...you can see what we meant by not covering the existing paintwork.

Most definitely not!

 

Regardless of my finger in the way, this was the one that got the thumbs up.

 

And as to the finished result,

Checking the decal looked okay from afar.

Ian's next task was to do a few checks on the engine. Everything seemed okay so with the time now about 6.30pm, the oil change was to be left until Friday. Instead we went for a fabulous meal at Gumley, a pub recommended by M&D. 

The meal was fabulous, I chose the best Shiraz they had, (Marilyn insisted) and Ian had his favourite real ale, Woodforde's Wherry. A selfie taken and sent to them both with a thank you for footing the bill.

 

So more tomorrow with the Waka Huia move from Debdale, up Foxton locks, through Husbands Bosworth tunnel and to her final destination at North Kilworth