Starcross Sold

It all happened rather quicker than I expected and quite smoothly, despite a communications breakdown somewhere in Norbury Wharf!  I left Starcross at Norbury at the beginning of February. In mid-March I had a phone call from Simon (MD) asking if I would be prepared to consider an offer from a potential buyer. At that stage I understood that no actual offer had been made but that the interested party wished to know if I would look at an offer were he to make one so that he could "consider his options".Obviously I said yes.
After a week I'd heard nothing more so decided that my buyer had lost interest. So I was surprised, early last week when away in Newcastle, to get an email from Norbury Wharf saying that a deposit had been received and banked! A phone call revealed that this was from the original "buyer" and that the offer was for over 90% of the asking price. This was followed by a second email three days later to say that the balance of the price had been received and Starcross could now be considered "sold".

I'd been expecting a delay whilst the buyer commissioned a survey and then returned with a lower offer to reflect the defects a surveyor would inevitably find. But no, apparently my own hull survey from last summer together with the knowledge that the engine had only 1600 hrs on the clock was good enough.

Today, therefore, Hilary and I have been down to Norbury Junction to remove the last of our personal possessions from the boat and to complete the Bill of Sale. After that was done we took a stroll along the towpath to the famous "High Bridge" (the one with the telegraph pole) and ate our picnic lunch before returning to Norbury for an ice cream on the wharf and the journey home.

So, after nine-and-half-years, Starcross and I have gone our separate ways. It also means the end of this blog as it wouldn't be right to continue it under this name now I no longer own the boat. Blogging turned out to be an unexpected aspect of boat ownership - I did't even know how to "blog" when I bought the boat in 2004 and remember being amazed when I stumbled upon some of the early boaters' blogs - but it's been an excellent and highly-recommended way of getting to know fellow boaters and of becoming part of a community of like-minded people. I very much hope I'll keep in touch with the friends I've made through this blog and I'll be following your own blogs to see what you are up to. I'll particularly be watching out for anyone heading for the Lancaster Canal and, of course, based on my single crossing with Ian and Karen on Tacet I can now offer my services as an experienced pilot for the Ribble Link! 

As far as future boating is concerned I've decided to have at least a year off from boat ownership to pursue other opportunities, er..spend more time with my family, do all those things I haven't had time or money for in the last nine years! I shan't be losing interest in the cut though and, in fact, anyone on the Leicester Section in a month's time may well see me aboard "Sunshine" a lovely 1976-built 30ft Minden cruiser with a wonderfully atmospheric Lister SR2 engine that belongs to long-time friends and fellow boaters Kris and Bernard. Look out for me.

So, that's it then. and as another of my heroes, Douglas Adams, didn't say: 
 "So Long, and thanks for all the hits!"