We made it!  Honestly, there were times we really thought that we would never be ready in time to launch on 21^st (and the next launch day is 15^th April!).

But, as this mainly photo blog goes to prove, we are now ready and waiting to go splash tomorrow.

There were many little jobs to take care of in the morning, including putting on the name.

At around 2.00 pm we were ready to roll

Thijs arrives with the “fork lift”  - a hydraulic boat lift, and a serious piece of kit

Bye-bye paint shed, hello daylight

Klaas, Dick and Ian setting up the supports

Thijs gets involved too

And “voila”! (photo taken by Klaas)

I spent the rest of the day cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.  How dirty can a boat get in 3 weeks!

Ian had to check the engine after the new exhaust installation and there are a few leaks but it started at first turn of the key and ran sweetly.  Whew, what a relief!  The leaks can be taken care of tomorrow when we are tied up at our mooring in Portus Dixmude (the marina in Diksmuide). 

So this is our last night in the house – with central heating.  It was cold working on the boat this afternoon, out of the heated paint shed, just a taster of what is to come!