Lagonda Rapiers

4 minute(s) of a 484 minute read

No, not a dumpster but a 20ft Shipping Container which will be its home for the next 7/8 weeks while it makes the long sea voyage to England.  Helen and I will fly to link up with it in seven weeks, stopping off for a week en route in Paris. Being poor "Old Age Pensioners" we can only afford to do this trip once every five years. To make it all worth while, we make it an extended holiday, for three months, to help save money, we ship the Lagonda to be used as our day to day transport, thus saving on the cost of car hire. It/We have done a similar trip in 1984, 94, 96, 99, 2004, 2009, 2014 and now in 2019.  1996 was an extra trip for the FIVA World Rally held that year in England to celebrate the
First 100 years of the British Motor Industry, International entrants had their car shipping paid by the sponsors of the event, the Rover Car Co.
This year this is all complicated by the by the Gearbox Rebuild. There was nothing wrong with the gearbox and it was working fine! The sole reason for all the trouble we have encountered is the requirement that the car on its return to Australia, at the end of our holiday, must be totally free of any Asbestos. The Australian Border Force (Customs) have recently started an aggressive campaign aimed at Vintage and Classic cars (re)entering Australia, using extreme methods and often destructive actions in their search for Asbestos unless the owner has Documents (and Photographs) to prove that all traces of the substance have been removed.

3-15-2019

There will not very much happening on the Rapier front for the next seven or eight weeks.  Perhaps someone else may like to contribute something?

4-19-2019

Back to the main subject, our Lagonda Rapier on board the Container Ship Al Safat is well on the way to England currently about to head through the Suez Canal  and into the Medeiterranean:- https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/AL-SAFAT-IMO-9349497-MMSI-636017670

4-23-2019

We  are now approaching the countdown until we "Fly Out" heading for our first stop in Paris. Then just a few days later on to England to collect the Lagonda with a frantic one day's work to get it mobile before we head off back towards France. You can all then look forward to three months peace and quiet.

4-27-2019

Right now, still safely tucked up in its container on board the Al Safat the Rapier will be making a quick "Whistle Stop" at Malta as it progresses along the  Medeiterranean:- https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/AL-SAFAT-IMO-9349497-MMSI-636017670

4-29-2019

24 hours later and the Al Safat is on the move again, next stop is scheduled for 4th May at Rotterdam. This is also the same date that we take to the air on our way to Paris.  While we are enjoying the delights of Paris, the Al Safat should finally be making its way to the UK.  By the time we reach England the ship should have unloaded the container with the Lagonda safely tucked up inside. This then has to make the road journey to Cars Uk's depot at Chedburgh in Suffolk.  We should be finally re-united with the Rapier in about 10 days time.  Then the fun will begin. My first task as mentioned previously will be to re-install the gearbox and to get the car ready for the road.
 
Bj.
 
P.S. I really must apologise, by the lack of response I can only assume that I am boring you all rotten!