The other stuff (2)

Herewith the recently promised second example of things that take a great deal longer to accomplish than they should…

Those who have been following these ramblings for some time may recall this (strangely unseasonal) scene. Back in February 2019 Victoria suffered one its rare serious falls of snow, the last few remnants of which still lingered in sheltered spots a month later.

The good ship Dignity (pictured here) suffered a mishap as a consequence, the weight of snow piled on top of her aged and decaying (I know how it feels) Bimini cover causing it to split at the seams and to deposit several feet of snow into her cockpit.

Once the snow had gone I immediately set about finding someone to make a replacement cover. Until such time as this could be done Dignity was likely to be laid up, covered with a tightly secured tarpaulin. It was touch and go as to whether we would get her on the water for the 2019 season at all.

Oh – if only things had been that simple!

Now – to be fair we were away for a month in the UK and Europe during May and early June – but there really is no excuse for what transpired. I had been recommended a canopy maker – one of Victoria’s long standing family concerns – and they took my deposit, agreed to order the necessary materials and I left them to set to work. That proved to have been a mistake and six months and more later I was still calling, visiting their workshop and generally trying to make a (polite) nuisance of myself. Each time they swore blind than there had been this problem or that emergency and they were just getting started. Each time absolutely nothing – zero! – zip! – nada! – happened.

Then the company disappeared! The workshops closed and emails and phone numbers became black holes from which no response ever escaped. I saw the proprietress once more – when she called at my front door to return the existing canvases from which she was to have made the required copy. I asked for my deposit back. She said she would effect an e-Transfer.

Did I get my money back? Did I bu**ery!

So – at the end of last year Dignity was still securely wrapped in a tarp and I was looking for a new Bimini maker. I thought I had found one, though he was busy until the new year. We very nearly got a cover made in February – but that was just at the time that we went to Mexico for a week and the date slipped back.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck. My canvas maker lost his assistant (who did not return from his winter holidays down south) and the job started to get pushed back and back again. Then the canopy maker’s wife fell ill and he had to withdraw from a host of jobs – mine included. At least this time I got my deposit back… and a recommendation to a third company.

The good news is that, in this case, third time was definitely lucky and – as of this week – Dignity is now resplendent in her shiny new Bimini top – courtesy of Marlene at Verde Studios in Langford. She gets the kudos and the name-check for having finished a job that took more than a year and a half in total.

Of course – with term starting this week and with everything else that is happening Dignity won’t be getting on the water this year either.

Oh well – here’s to next year!