(Two kayakers have just landed; they've come ALL the way down the Dordogne. Nothing to do with us. Look older than me! Hmmm!!)
Anyway, we are loading the 'Chai au Quai Castillon 2009' for London. Most of the wine has already been sold. So the whips are out.
But the sun is bright. The breeze is cooling. Our flags are flapping.
One or two people are flapping too.
But not our Anne. Amazing Anne is fielding all the problems you get when you try and do something that's not been done for decades. Or centuries.
When I first had the bright idea of shipping wine by sail from Bordeaux, there was a functioning port. Cranes, dockers etc. It was easy for us in 1975. All gone now though. So everything is by hand today.
We have a gang from our cellars in Glos.; Dan, Matt, Leah, Graham, Dave ... and Peter - who got left behind. And a local gang. And the crew. And me and Denis (my man in Bordeaux since always. He was on that first boat in '75). But we are not much use. Too old and unfit now.
Except we were able to help rush out and buy some lengths of timber for what they call 'dunnage'. It’s to do with stowing the cases of wine so they don't crash around in high seas - we always get high seas - and wreck this beautiful ship. Will it all fit? Will she still float? Will I be ever allowed to do this again?
The full story will be told in due course but if you wish to follow the good Irene from here to - we hope - London you can, I am told, now follow her on ... www.marinetraffic.com Search 'Irene of Bridgwater'. The thingy's a bit temperamental, but do keep looking.
Yo, ho, ho, and a few thousand bottles of claret.
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