Well we decided to strip all the auxiliary equipment off Perkins the
engine - and a good job too. We had it serviced last year at a cost of over
1.000? but we found that the marine mechanics hadn't put clips on the fuel
lines - what they had done was cover the fuel lines with 'curly wurly'
covers so we didn't detect it. Anyway Perkins has had a thorough overhaul
and is now an eccentric metallic green! We have also had all the engine
'pullies' replaced to take non stick 6 groove belts and these miracles of
engineering are now in place and Mike the electrician is wiring it up.

The back locker is now waterproof, two tiered and stuffed to the gunnels.

The medical kit is growing daily and stowage is looking a problem. We bought
six cartons of milk yesterday and I cant even seem to find them a home!

We moved out of our apartment on the 1st of August which involved an
extraordinary amount of self discipline as to what not to bring with us!
Even now I am sure we have overdone it. We keep telling our friends how
little clothing we have and how we are going back to nature - we lie!! We
are now permanently living on Anahi and I cannot begin to explain the
feeling of freedom even though we are still in harbour!!

Another decision has been to have our eyes operated on with Optical
Express - so we returned to England for ten days and have had something
similar to a cataract operation called Tetraflex -we both had one eye each
done and our second eyes done a week later. Quite amazing! Perfect 20 20
vision, a quick check up at Harley Street the morning after and back on the
plane! No more prescription glasses - just a lovely pair of polarised
sunnies!

A lot of equipment from Mailspeed chandlers arrived from England on Monday
including our new rib so we are now in the middlle of the next onslaught of
preparations.

All being well, and if all goes according to plan, we will sail to Almirimar
Marina within a week to order a new bimini, spray hood and get our life raft
serviced before going on to Agua Dulci to organise for Anahi to come out of
the water so we can strip off the 22 years of anti fouling and repaint her
bottom. Time is marching on and there seem to be so many jobs still to do.

The good news is that Navico have come up trumps and replaced our defunct
chart plotter - thanks almost solely down to Nigel Craine at BNT Marine
Limited a Navico Company.

The bad news is that the spare chart plotter we bought has also got a pixel
problem giving us black sooty marks all over it -so needs to be returned and
replaced.

The correct Lewmar wheel has apparently been in Spain for the last two weeks
but we are still awaiting delivery.

The new guard rail specialists have replaced half the guard rails - but in
4mm wire instead of 8mm so they look really weedy and have to go back.

British Airways will not replace one single penny of an airline ticket we
bought in March for over £1000 for our son to holiday in Antigua with us
this Christmas. He has decided to come with us so we were looking for a
refund, credit or even name change. Disgusting!

Hey ho!!

We are reading other yacht logs and blogs and getting frustrated that we are
not out there sailing and practicing too but we joined the rally at such
short notice we will be preparing right up to the deadline.,,,,,,,,,