LAST
Travel letter

     

NUSER-II has got a new crew and the “old crew” says - au revoir

NUSER-II is sold to a wonderful French couple on the 19th of August 2010

But before that we were in Madrid in early June. Great to revisit the city. We saw the Prado museum, strolling in the park which is located near the museum. Saw a procession - Corpus Christ.
We were also at the flea market Sunday morning. Jytte bought some fans. It was 35 degrees and sunny.

"The kids" Helen and Uffe came on 20th – 27th June. We spent the first two days in Toulouse and then sailed on to Castelnaudary,  60 km. from Toulouse. The first day we sailed 45 km. to Port Lauragais (our former small port), because there was announced a strike in some of the locks. Long days with many locks, so it was nice with a “stay over day”. Helen and Uffe worked well and hard in the locks J. Sailed the last approx. 15 km. to Castelnaudary, where we were 2½ days. Sweet nice town. It was great to have them aboard.

Then we sailed towards Narbonne with a stay in HOMPS where we again met Biesbosch.
We were in Carcassonne on 14th of July on Bastille Day. We saw the most beautiful and incredible fireworks from the old castle-town La Cité. We found a good place in front of the fireworks and enjoyed the red wine and snacks. We shared the experience with approx. 700,000 other people J - and everything was just fantastic calm.

Mona and Frits visited us from 23th of July to 2nd of August. We were two days in Narbonne and that included an alternative concert where the drummer used the branches and wheat sheaf as drumsticks. A bit of an experience. The water level in the narrow canal just after Narbonne, was very low and we could "feel" the bottom a few times. Sailed for Vias, about 8 km. from the shipyard where we would have NUSER-II on land. Went through "Royal Lock" with six chambers. Good to be four on board, even if it was "only" down
Vias is a village near the Mediterranean Sea with indescribable many tourists, but the Mediterranean was wonderful to swim in. We drove to the Cap D'Agde a huge port with thousands of boats. From small boats to huge yachts. We also had a look at the shipyard, which is situated at the river l 'Herault a few hundred meters from the Mediterranean. We had some wonderful days together.

Frits was on board with us 5 years ago when we went from Holbaek to Lübek and Mona came later in the week and they were also the last guests on board together with the Danish crew.

NUSER-II's new crew lives in Montpellier and the next year or two NUSER-II will stay on the Canal du Midi, etc. They are still working and will sail during holidays and weekends. They have space for the boat in Toulouse for the winter. (So all boating friends – welcome them)

We met them the first time in Carcassonne October 2009. They liked NUSER-II and it fulfilled their demands with two doors, so there is always the possibility of fresh air through the boat, and the door can be closed to the front cabin. Depth and height that makes it possible to sail on all canals and go through all bridges. And it is nice inside.

We have been in contact through 10 months and they had booked time at Allemand at Agde.

A specialist from the Lyon came. We started to sail on the river at different speeds, backing, turning, etc. Then NUSER-II was cleaned. Then everything was investigated and also measurements of the hull steel thickness. Fundamentally everything was fine, except two weak points where the steel was too thin. We got new plates welded at these sites.

In addition, there were some safety things that should be arranged in relation to EU rules.

We anti-fouled, oiled the bathing ladder etc and in general cleaned it. Packed our personal things and clothes (and threw a lot out J). Everything else came with the boat so it was ready for the holiday from day one.

We showed Christine and Richard what is on board and how it works. We sailed a trip where they both wer “captain”. And we showed them our procedures in the locks. They brought the most wonderful lunch.

They gave us some "surprise gifts. We had invited them to dinner and it was a good evening, even though we all were tired.

They started their vacation the day after and they will keep the name NUSER-II.

We are still in touch and we will meet again.

Will we miss our boating life -yes, of course.

When we started from Denmark on th 19th of June 2005, we said that we did not know whether we would think it would be exciting to sail and live on the boat most of the year. We have done that for five years and two months and it has been absolutely wonderful. But we believe in destiny. It was coincidence that we came to Carcassonne one day sooner than we had booked space. It was coincidence that Christine and Richard came by to see if there were boats for sale at the port. They were interested in our boat and Rudy said "You can buy it next year." It has never been put up for sale.

NUSER-II is “at home” in France and it was important that it was really sweet and good people who would live on NUSER-II (otherwise we would not have sold it). We think it was the right thing to stop while we still think it was a good life.

We are still able to have new projects and we will.

A wonderful time is over and a new lovely time comes with other challenges.

This last greeting from the “Canal-bums” now “landsmen” J


Love

Jytte and Rudy
Landsmen