Standing at the wheel in a continuous downpour as well as dodging the debris that is being swept along the river is no way to start a cruise!
So yet again we are experiencing 'Groundhog' Day here... Today we will say farewell to Dejavu(what an apt name!), Antares, Calidris Alba(again!), Dragonheart is in final preparation, Lyric is still waiting for parts as is Capriai....Vagabunda awaits the arrival of family, Manitoba Morning are traveling inland and so it goes on.
Our turn soon. We are delayed now as we await our new passports, a trip to the Embassy in the City is necessary. It's always the small things that prove to be the most troublesome isn't it? I am comforted by the thought that once we are over this hurdle we will have sorted all our paperwork issues for at least the next five years and there will be no excuses for hanging around the docks for a while!
Our ships registration papers, renewable every five years, are in the process of reissue too. Sometimes it just pays to be patient and believe there is a reason why everything moves so slowly....beats me why though!
Anyone who believes that cruising will liberate them from the bureaucratic mess that surrounds land based life is in for a very nasty shock! My briefcase is full of the paperwork needed to cruise the world. Passports, visa's, ships registration document, radio license's, sailing qualification's, crew list, vaccination certificates, insurance documents....
We must restock on copies of all the above, passport size photographs and blank crewlists at regular intervals. The amount of paper that some of the immigration and custom's authorities require is mind-boggling.
Ah well it's a job for somebody I guess!
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