Another hectic day - picked up long-time and long-suffering friend and sailing companion Alain in Ghent very early in the a.m. Made Antwerp just before the traffic jams.

And a good thing too - launch was scheduled for 10H30 - tractor turned up 09h00 sharp. We were by no means ready - let's not quibble about an hour. However, I did get the opportunity to apply anti-foul in the places we couldn't reach because of the cradle.

Long story short - 45 minutes later we were afloat, engine did start second time round, there was no wind, and I still know how to park my baby. Onlookers impressed - and said so. It's good to be the king - big grin.

Shroud fittings caused a bit of a panic early in the morning - some we did yesterday afternoon needed to be redone - sharp-ish. Non military personnel seemed daunted but came through in the end - colours flying. By 14H00 everything was in place as it should be.

Stepping of the mast was a doddle - all done in less than 30 mins (well, an hour if you include a quick trip to the local swindlery). Mast and boom fitted, proper tension applied to the shrouds, ... At times like these Alain's worth his weight in gold.

A thing of beauty - Guapa looks soo much better with the mast up. And impressive too. More than a bit proud. We didn't hank on the sails; it would have been a step too far, for no added benefit. Soon though.

Meanwhile - the home front. The news has been mixed. On the plus side: Evita's A.S. exams are going brilliantly - no surprise there (she's got my brains, but uses them a lot better).
On the minus side: Brigitte's been suffering from 'calcific tendinitis'. Major/minor treatment (keyhole surgery) yesterday, and my other half seems to be in quite some pain. Let's be honest, I even forgot about it. And right now I'm three hundred miles and the Channel away. And I feel and think I'm not where I should be. I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you, my love, even if it's the last thing I do.

There we are, inching closer towards completion. Guapa's no longer just a hulk, but a yacht in need of some attention.
One more working day tomorrow, followed by a day of R&R. We could all use one. The adrenaline rush of the impending launch will start to wear off soon.

Final stretch - first sail hopefully just a few days (but certainly no more than a a week) away. If the weather holds.

Light at the end of the tunnel. The old girl's first sight of daylight in eight months - it's been too long.