October recap: Travel and more waiting

It feels like forever! Although it's only been a month since the last post. But Karina and I have been busy as always.

The big question! Is Delfine finished? Well, since the last post, we DO have toilet seats. The AC is repaired (faulty circuit board), and the central heating is (almost) working correctly – just in time for cold weather. We've painted the tender and, as the weather gets wetter, decided to add a grip coat to the side decks, so we've been repainting them too.

The irony is that as we approach winter, we're now into annual maintenance of things we've previously completed! It's been a year since we finished the dog hatch and oiled those. After a year of rain and sun, they need a touch-up to keep them in great condition.

The gearbox was repaired, then the generator leaked diesel, and we're replacing the seals around the injectors to fix that. No longer "renovation" but now, typical, regular boat maintenance stuff.

We should be finished with all the shipyard tasks this week. Martin has had health issues, but all our electrical work is completed with two minor exceptions. He should be back on Monday to program the charger between the engine and the batteries, which will give us power into the batteries while we're underway again.

We've been waiting for Simon to finish some other tasks. He says he'll be free this week, which means the front window pane can be routed out and painted, the new steps from the Guest Hatch to the Guest Deck will go in, and we'll add a small mast at the bow.

Bart has been working on the heating, and returns on Tuesday to tweak the programming inside the fancy heat controller we installed. And the glass people are scheduled to replace the cracked panes in the wheelhouse.

With all of these items completed, Delfine is "done" (minus a mixer, bathroom taps and a bathroom door which are on backorder). While it's still there, our physical work has slowed down. Now, it's all the polishing and finishing touches, like adding safes and televisions into the guest rooms, and buying waste bins.

Which is good timing. Although we're now too late in the season to take bookings, we are now officially live on BargeLady Cruises, and we've been speaking with a second broker, French Waterways, about being listed there, too. We've filled out lots of information and details for the sales teams, and now, we wait. All indications are that we should start getting serious inquiries around January (post-Christmas blues), and going well, will be largely booked out by the end of March. It's a slow lead-time business. We were told the story of someone who went from inquiry to booking in only 6 weeks, which was a record for timing and considered unheard of!

More importantly, we're working on exploring our route. While we still can't take Delfine cruising, we've been out to explore Flanders and drove to Oudenburg, Veurne and Diksmuide, all on our route to try several of the experiences for ourselves. It's a guilty pleasure to have a delightful tourist experience and remind ourselves that this is actually legitimate "work". It doesn't feel like it.

We took a brief driving holiday to the UK. I wanted to catch up with old friends, Nigel and Alison, and while we were there, it was a great opportunity to visit Iain and Kate aboard their Widebeam Barge for a short cruise and a night, then off to Devon to see Claire, Ollie and meet baby Quinn.

Every time we return to the UK, we're reminded of how much we enjoy it, and we come back with the car packed full of goodies that you can't get here in Belgium. Like Turkish Delight chocolate bars, Crumpets and Fruit Toast.

We've continued to explore and discover more and more in Gent, too. Lately, there have been several walking tours. One in the heart of Gent, an open house of old buildings, and then a second one just yesterday through Prinsenhof (our neighbourhood). It was ostensibly an art tour, but in reality, we were there to go into the buildings and see the hidden secrets you don't usually get to see.

That's the updates from us and what we've been up to. There's a small update on some of my writing activity after, if you're interested.

Until next time,

Tim & Karina

PS - Read on for updates on some writing activities!

Writing

Dear Adam

As many of you know, I write extensively. Two exciting projects are now launching, which I'm thrilled to share.

The first of these is that I was privileged to edit a book for a highly talented author friend, Serenity Bea. The book, titled Dear Adam, has received excellent early reviews. If you enjoy literary fiction, please take a look. It's available on Amazon (and all good book stores) – search "Dear Adam Serenity Bea" and you'll find it. Check out some of the reviews here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241057185

I recommend it as a fantastic read, and I'm proud of how it's being received. If you could purchase a copy (99 c), read it, then leave a review, you will be helping a talented indie author get the recognition they deserve.

Dear Adam - Amazon US (Kindle)
Dear Adam - Amazon AU (Kindle)
Dear Adam - Amazon CA (Kindle)
Dear Adam - Amazon UK (Kindle)

Serenity's writing speaks for itself. As the editor, the spelling mistakes are mine 🤣 Although I dare you to find any!

Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories

The other news is that I've been finishing up my Cozy Fantasy story, Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories.

Note this is published under my pen name (T.J. Bramble) to distinguish it from the memoir that is Footloose. I hope to write more in this series, so for branding, it made sense.

The eBook is now available for pre-order on Amazon and will launch on November 12th. Paperback version is coming soon! Links at the end of this email - or find it by searching 'Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories'.

If you've read books like Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, anything by Terry Pratchett, or even The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein, then I'm certain you'll find things to enjoy in Goblins & Guides.

For my sailor friends, you'll find it packed full of Easter eggs about archaeological locations across Greece and Türkiye. For others, it's just a fast, fun, and cozy read with a fast-paced historical mystery.

Here's how you can help!

1. If you've already read an early copy, please consider leaving a rating and review on Goodreads for me. At the end of the review, you should say that you received an Advanced Copy from the author (this is considered good etiquette).
2. If you're interested in being an Advanced Reader (or you read an early beta and want the latest version), you can sign up here – you'll receive an eBook copy along with instructions on how to install it on your Kindle. If you read it and enjoy it, then please consider leaving an early review on Goodreads.
3. Preorder! By clicking on any of the links below, you help me let Amazon know that people are interested in the book and help them boost its sales during launch.
4. Of course, once it's released, purchasing a copy and then leaving a review really helps! As an Indie author, most promotional opportunities are limited until I can reach 30+ VERIFIED (as in, people bought the book and then reviewed it) reviews. When you consider that only a small percentage of people who ever buy a book review it, that's a big hurdle you can help a small indie author overcome.

Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories. US Amazon.com (Kindle)
Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories. AU Amazon.com.au (Kindle)
Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories. UK Amazon.com (Kindle)
Goblins & Guides: Hidden Histories. CA Amazon.com (Kindle)

Thank you for all your support!

Tim (aka T.J. Bramble)