A bit of a landmark.

Through the front windows, Ruru overlooks Sebastien’s entropic crumbling 80 tonne mobile crane.

Faded red & doorless, looking for all the world like a full-sized version of something off a Thunderbirds episode, it blocks Ruru’s path to freedom.

A relic of a bygone era, it’s still in service, shuttling from boatyard to canalside to lift boats on and off road transport trailers.

When it starts up it sounds like a blustery old cargo ship.

I severely doubt it has insurance.

When we leave on our journey to the canal, it won’t be by crane. It’ll be on a hydraulic trailer towed by a big Massey Ferguson tractor.

Ruru c/w David’s expertly erected tarp.

It’s been slated to rain today, and at 5.30pm the forecast came true. What started with strong winds from the west morphed into black skies to the north.

The gloom was almost unimaginable.

Pilou, David the mecano’s scruffy goofy lovable mutt started barking somewhere over in the direction of the workshop. He’s not normally a barker, more a schmoozer & serial ball chaser.

Something was definitely up.

Then, the sky lightened a little and the first drops began to fall.

Swallows swooped and dived in the thick air above the boat. Where did they come from? I hadn’t noticed them over the boatyard before.

Drops turned to drizzle, the swallows vanished and the drizzle became a downpour.

Scanning the yard from my perch — it’s a 270 degree panorama — there’s not a soul to be seen.

Rain yes. But in other respects a false alarm. We seem to have evaded the thunderstorm.

Alerts come thick and fast here, and you’re wise to take notice because Midi weather is not to be trifled with.

Nature regularly wreaks havoc. In February, Storm Nils brought down over 800 trees on the Canal du Midi.

Eight hundred trees!

But enough colour. I have some news. The motor transplant is finally complete.

Yes, talk about burying the lede, sorry.

David connected all the tubes and hoses and wires in very laid back fashion compared to his operatic performance getting the motors out and in.

He was so quiet I had no idea he was making that kind of progress. Only when he knocked at the back door to show me some of his adaptations did I realise the job was finally over.

Unrelated pic — the swish new bedroom door/curtain. Very pleased.

Let’s recap.

It was going to be completed before I arrived on the 22nd.

Then it was last Monday. Then last Friday.

To be quite honest, I was at the stage where I had low expectations for completion this week.

Another unrelated pic — Ruru’s salon looking all comfy and lived in (kitchen in the background)

Anyway.

Ruru is almost certainly back in the water tomorrow. There’ll be sea trials to get everything calibrated and working.

Then it’s down the canal in the direction of Bordeaux.

The first half of the canal is a known entity, the second half an anticipation.

And if the stars align, and me and Ruru get all the way to Bordeaux…well…that will be an ADVENTURE.