2011 November last few days before charter

The rainy season is raining itself out. Our charter looms closer. And the Yard is STILL busy cutting, sanding, crimping, fitting......they are a month late!

Watching the torrential downpour through the companionway hatch

10 days to charter and our 'luxury' boat still looks like this...

They promised that they would be ready in time. They promised that we would not have to cancel the charter. They promised that they would make us the priority, doing everything in their power to get it all finished on time. They lied. They keep having to redo the work as they dont do it properly. They keep sending their people to work on other boats while ours is not finished. They keep trying to put in jimmy rigged systems and shortcuts. Flights are booked, it is too late to cancel the charter... AAAAAGH!

The new view from our decks. 5m above the ground

We had to be moved as the Cpt pointed out to the yard that the boat literally underneath us probably wouldnt appreciate us reantifouling our boat above them. So right next to the sea we are, with a wonderful view of the bay

Stephan. The electrician / DJ

Those arent real records. His music plays off his computer but the 'records' allow him to control the sound as if they are on the records. You know, scratching and mixing and all that.

One of the hardworking few who would stay until late at night working on the installation of the aircon units so that they could be finished only a little overdue....then being told he HAD to work on another boat the following day and not us... What a patient trooper!

Going back in

So at least this happened on time. ok the boat wasnt in the state we wanted it to be in before it went back in but at least this wasnt delayed. Considering the debacle with the boats going in on the previous few days, we were lucky...the rains made the ground rather sodden and a travel hoist lifting a boat is a heavy thing. Yip it kept getting stuck in the mud, spinning its wheels and jerking the unfortunate, suspended boats backwards and forwards. With us they had learnt, they put down giant metal and rubber mats...

Rig going back in

It only took them 3 days to put the mast back in and retune it. (which would have been unnecessary if they had listened to us when they took it out and not unscrewed ALL the fittings) But at least this time it was slightly more professionally done: ie. they didnt lose control of it and have it swinging wildly around the yard,and they didnt have a truck drive over our backstay etc etc.

Hmmm this improvement in service may have been due to the fact that the day before the Cpt had 'jokingly' said to the rigger that allowed these things to happen on the removal of the rig "So do you think we can do this tomorrow without losing control of the rig and having someone drive over the backstay" (i kid you not) and um well suprisingly he didnt rock up for the job and we had the other rigger from their other office come. Oh and I gave them our old furling line and politely suggested it might be useful tied to the outside edges of the spreaders to control the rig (last time they wouldnt believe us that this would control the rig better than halyards coming from the centre of the mast...)

Relief

Tree Frog

At night these little guys serenade the entire island with their birdlike chirping. They are LOUD. They are also however, smaller than the old R1 coin. We are still finding them all over the boat and dingy. We both think they're quite cute though so they are stored in a glass jar (with holes and a little mineral water) until they can be released ashore... ok ok maybe we are missing having proper pets.