June 28th, 2011

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Tuesday 28 June. I’m getting ready for the Danube

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

All that still needs to be done is painting the bottom. Because anti fouling paint loses it’s toxicity, to the nasty creatures that wish to get a free ride to the Mediterranean and beyond, when the paint is left out to dry for too long, before the dunking, that will be the last item on the list. And just before that the crane needs to pick the boat up and move the stanchions that she is sitting on so that I can paint those sections. The luxury riverĀ boat that is being built in the Zim Tub plant for Mr. Nicolae is getting ready for launching as well and I have been told that they will need my spot to launch her from. In a way that is good news because otherwise they might take their sweet time in getting me dropped in the river. It took about two weeks to get the crane time to haul me out, last November. Below a couple more pictures with the decals in place.

I am now waiting for the flexible shaft/transmission coupling from Holland that should have arrived a week ago.

Last Sunday when I returned to the Romanian side on the ferry from Bulgaria, I spent a half hour with the customs men. They had nothing better to do and I was in no hurry either. They were trying to find when I had re-entered Romania on May 3rd and they wanted to know the details on my arrival and departure for the USA visit, last winter. It took a while. Afterwards I added up the entries in my passport.

The passport will expire next year and in the 10 years it has accumulated 102 check inĀ and check out customs/immigrations stamps, 15 Visas (10 countries, 4 for Vietnam) It contains 75 pages. I searched in vain for the exit stamp from the USA last April. And then I realized that the USA is one of the few countries where you do not go through customs/immigration when leaving it.

Two weeks ago, Nero, the German Shepherd here at the “ranch” got a new friend. This little fluff ball walked in one day, from no where. Barely weaned. In the morning I have my breakfast on the porch and make my salami sandwich for lunch. They come and join me for a piece of bread and salami.