Launch Day!!

Monday 10^th October, 2011

We arrived at Kingsground at 8pm.  It was a dry day but very windy, so much so that Richard Haynes, the owner of Kingsground, had been concerned that it would be too windy for the crane operator.  We were delighted to be joined by our friends Penny, Harry and Simon.  Clare and Jenni came along a little later.

Many Meetings was moved out of the workshop, starting at about 9:00am and craned onto a flat-bed truck. It was a very skilled operation for the drivers of the crane and the flat-bed truck to manoeuvre her between the trees in the prevailing wind.  She was then driven down to the canal at Enslow. Several of our friends and family, unsure of the way to Enslow, passed her en route - “Follow that boat” was the cry! 

Many Meetings was launched at the Rock of Gibraltar at 10:45. Again, the crane operation went without a hitch, despite the wind.  It was heart-warming to hear the cheer from the assembled company as she touched the water (thank you, Judith!)  At mid-day, she was officially named by Jenni in front of 45 of our friends and family.  We did not smash a bottle of champagne over her immaculate paintwork – Darren would never have forgiven us!  Instead, Jenni very gently poured a glass of the “pink’un” over her bow.  It was wonderful to have so many of our favourite folk present, some of whom had travelled a long way to be there. We were delighted to see that Jim and Craig, of Alexander’s, who had built the shell for us, had come all the way from Stourport.

After the launch, we all enjoyed a buffet lunch in the Rock of Gibraltar. Simon Page, our engineer, then sailed MM to the nearby Enslow Marina and moored her up in the ‘dry-dock’ polytunnel next to “Primrose”, Tiffany’s boat.  On the previous Friday, we had hired a large van and brought up from home much of the equipment for MM and stored it on Primrose over the weekend.

Our visitors all set off home after lunch.  We unpacked a few things on to MM then we returned to the Black’s Head and after a hearty supper, we stayed the night in the Barn room. Very comfortable and we slept like babies.  It had been one of those rare and very special days in one’s life that you don’t want to end.  We shall treasure the memory of today forever….