Dropped the Azalai off at OEC today to get the finishing touches completed. Everyone is optimistic we’ll get there before Christmas, but the manufacturers of the solenoids (to operate the tail-lift locking-pins) have consistently reneged on promised delivery dates over the last few weeks. Anyway, regardless everything else can happen: Uprated headlamp bulbs (the Defender’s standard issue really are poor), fitting a socket for Anderson jump-leads, adding an additional curtain to retain items in ‘the bathroom’ of the Azalai (basically to stop me knocking stuff off the shelf into the toilet), fitting replacement seat heating (as the original rheostats were defective in design), and mounting a shovel to the front wing.
Hopefully there’ll be time to get decals on too for Prosport Insurance Services for professional sportspeople and Bishop Fleming accountants.
In other news:
It may be that we can tack a bush medicine course onto the back of the upcoming driver training too. It will mean hot-footing cross country but that will only add to the chance to give the Azalai a good testing. More details if all the bookings come together.
I’ve got a couple of shipping quotes (either side of £3k, 40ft Hi Cube container) – but interestingly it looks like slow-steaming is en vogue as the estimated transit time is 30 days [on the quote that specified]. This means shipping early April and flying out pretty much as soon as possible after our leaving party 29th April (in the Marquee NARFC, the last fundraiser but more importantly a chance to see everyone before we drop off the scene for a while!). I’m going to do some checking on flight prices (given all of the bank holidays around that time) and then book the shipping to suit. Sailings are weekly so there is a small amount of leeway.
The time-frame means that he Carnet will need to be arranged so it can ship with the vehicle early April.
Also much thanks to Algy & Dianne for their support and best wishes.