Msg from Gibraltar - hellish nightmare over at last

[tcm]

Congratulations to all those sailors- me included - who have just survived a somewhat hellish nightmare, and which seems to be over at last.

Mine started back en route to Scotland in late April with an auld pal, and I recall him telling me a woeful tale about his new kitchen. The kitchen guy who should have delivered his kitchen didn’t do so, and so on, but it seems that it’s eventually getting sorted.

At the very time he is telling me this story, though, I find out later that I have lost about 3 of Para’s kitchens in BP shares, argh, and another half dozen Parakitchens during the otherwise very enjoyable CC2010. Swmbo and I managed to decide on the BP shares after months of humming and hawing, eventually buying the damn things presumably just as oilrig workers heard a funny noise and noticed the sea oilier than usual. Swmbo briefly considered trying to tell the bank that someone else had ben trying to impersonate her on the phone, or get herself declared mad and hence perhaps they have to undo the transaction at that time about three days old.

“Never mind – think of the income!” sez Para stoutly, as he reads the paper on board at anchor somewhere off Scotland. I don’t think he’s in as deep as I am, or perhaps he is – but has nerves of titanium with ceramic tips. LJS also buys a paper on the Saturday, but I daren’t even look at the business section nor even the front page. I briefly scan the sports pages which has references to footballers whose “stock has fallen faster than BP shares…” gulp…

A few days later I fly to the carib for a transat, all fine, reach Horta and yeah crew walk off, what the heck - and we’re down a full dozen PK’s and the shares are in freefall as computers somewhere trigger more selling. Swmbo visits in Vilamoura and recalls her own awful experience of visiting the BP website which invited anyone to email them “if they have any bright ideas”. Aargh. Our hotel room in Vilmoura is 7 floors off the ground, with very tempting balcony…

Finally at last here in Gib it seems the oil wassername thing is fixed and losses bottom out at over two dozen or so PK’s, but at least it’s all over, we hope.

I am doing some boatfixing but can’t quite get it out of my mind that it would almost have been more profitable to have not bought BP shares, give the boat away in Carib and just buy another in Gib, and bolx to the sailing. Heyho. Actually, only barely “heyho” this time...

[little boy blue]

you win some - you lose some. it briefly crossed my mind in early april to sell my bp shares, but inertia triumphed ( as usual ). hence probably down a kitchen, or thereby. hang on in there

[Telo]

Matt, if you've lost all those kitchens, you're always welcome to use ours from time to time.

[FullCircle]

My commiserations - at least you don't own a boat making biz.
I am happy to report that as I am unaware of the exchange rate on PKs, I can only hazard a geuss to my own budgetary and profit issues. Our previous ownership of BP shares was disposed of to purchase Full Circle. Sometimes I get lucky, but not often.
I am down about 10% of a new Jeanneau SO35, and I count myself fortunate, as the new whizzy dining table on FC has proved a bit of a hit with the troops and guests.

I hear that BP are now siphoning 10000 barrels a day out of their plug contraption, make sure this hits the profit side of the business rathering than them pretending its low grade rubbish to be shown on the debit of the balance sheet.

[Olivepage]

I once allowed myself to be persuaded to buy oil shares - about 15 years ago - a company called Atlantic Resources. Supposed to be on point of striking oil in the Irish sea.

A few weeks after buying the things I received the annual report - one sentence caught my eye - "a negative disincrease in the rate of increase of losses" - it was an Irish company.

The few hundred shares have never paid a dividend and have sorted migrated to about 7 shares in a different company - and they're worth 2/3 of 3/8 of **** all.

Don't like oil much

[jim.r]

well personally, Id rather buy a bowsprit than not buy a kitchen or lose all my money on BP shares.

[sahona]

Absolutely