Let the season begin...

I have been busy for the last month or so planning this year's cruising. Why so much planning and so little crusing? Well, that is because Olivia is getting a makeover - gone is the flaking paint, gone is (most of) the rust, gone is my attempt to make a start on priming two years ago. These photos were taken before work started on her makeover (Note: my attempts at priming the bow!).

For a little while she looked worse than ever and it became a little disheartening as progress with preparation was slow. Here she is looking BAD:

I'd hoped we could have started the makeover earlier but bad weather stopped play - however, since starting on 2nd April, the weather could not have been better for prepping, priming and painting. Well done to Rick for working 12 hour days when needed. Here are some photos as the paint started to go on:

Now she looks so much brighter - similar livery to before - blue and dark red - but instead of yellow I have gone for Pearl White. Both well deck and stern deck seats have been tidied up and I'm hoping the broken front fender will be fixed this week. I'll put up the latest photos tomorrow.

 I've still got to tidy up the inside and pack up my trip kit but any day now we will be off to London. Yippee!