Boat arrives in Dover!

Posted on March 26, 2014 by agclontarf

Arrived safely in Dover at 8am this morning. Up all night travelling through England. gone to bed, full blog later tonight…

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Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, On the Journey | 5 Comments

Presentation to my Rotary Club – Tomorrow is the Departure Day

Posted on March 24, 2014 by agclontarf

Today, the day before the Gap Year begins, I gave a presentation on our plans to my Rotary Club, Dublin Fingal. This is rather like explaining to your family what you have decided to go and do…

I have been a member of Dublin Fingal Rotary club since 1995. It’s like family to me now. There, you meet your best friends and your greatest critics. A bit scary!

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Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, Getting Ready for Gap Year, People who have helped us on our way | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Derek Mooney Show

Posted on March 21, 2014 by agclontarf

Yesterday, Nuala and I were on the Derek Mooney Show to talk about our Gap Year. It was an interesting experience as neither of us had ever been interviewed on live National Radio before. So our Gap Year has brought us another adventure. Continue reading →

Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, derek mooney show, Getting Ready for Gap Year, People We have Meet on the Gap Year | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Bicycle Comes full Circle

Posted on March 19, 2014 by agclontarf

You may remember a blog I wrote on 24th February about a train journey to Sligo. I recalled  the story of meeting a man from Carrick on Shannon and his strange folding bike. He had bought it on the Internet and imported it into Ireland. He was very enthusiastic about it and gave me a demonstration on how it worked. Continue reading →

Posted in Getting Ready for Gap Year, People We have Meet on the Gap Year | Tagged , | 4 Comments

First Visitors to C est la Vie – 7 days to go!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by agclontarf

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day especially to our overseas readers.

As the boat is ready we decided to invite friends and family onto the boat last Saturday and Sunday. We had a total of 16 people over the two days. We have figured out the optimum number to have on board for a day trip is 12 people. Continue reading →

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Registering the Boat as a Ship of the Irish Nation– We Got It with 11 days to Go!

Posted on March 14, 2014 by agclontarf

The Boat is now named C’est la Vie.

As I mentioned in an earlier blogs, it is much better if the boat is officially registered before we take it to France and Germany. European waterways police apparently love official paperwork and will stop you travelling if you don’t have it. So as of yesterday we are official, as C’est la Vie is listed on the Register of Shipping in Dublin. Continue reading →

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The Dover – Calais Delivery Team have a Practice Day – 13 days to go.

Posted on March 12, 2014 by agclontarf

The boat has been dewinterised.  The Topaz Truck came last Friday and filled up the fuel tank. So the boat can again do what it’s designed to do, cruise on the water. I have asked Bill Kee, Michael Eustace and Neil Mc Laughlin to help me bring the boat from Dover to Calais as Nuala will still be working.
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Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, Getting Ready for Gap Year, People We have Meet on the Gap Year, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Thursday & Friday – Not Good Days

Posted on March 10, 2014 by agclontarf

In case you all think I am currently having a great life with nothing to do, let me tell you about last Thursday & Friday. As you know the inverter (the brain on the boat that manages the electricity) failed on the previous Friday.

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Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, Getting Ready for Gap Year, People We have Meet on the Gap Year | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Safe on the Boat?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by agclontarf

I did not realise that there was a safe fitted to the boat. Checking through the bilges, I came across it and I thought that it would be good security to use it when abroad. The next question, how could I open it? Continue reading →

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The Car is Sold! – 20 days before departure.

Posted on March 5, 2014 by agclontarf

I sold my car. I put it up for sale in January and after about 30 phone enquirers and 3 road tests I gave up and finally sold it last week for less than I expected to get. Now suddenly for the first time since I was 17 years of age, I don’t have a car or a motor bike (as along with the fish tank it too was sold to start the Gap Year plan).
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Posted in Getting Ready for Gap Year | Tagged , | 3 Comments