Back in the Wet Stuff
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 29 Sep 2008 08:46
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Back in the Wet Stuff
Our first day back was Sunday 21st
September, sun hot, so after a few jobs we went to the beach for a couple of
hours. Waste water disposal was a wheelie bin strategically placed under Beez
Neez. Showers were right next to us. I had only ever showered at night with
skipper directing me, I decided to be big and go later the next day after
domestic chores, washing done etc. However when I came out of the shower cubicle
I couldn't work out why there was urinal in the corner !!!.
Oops.
Monday saw us doing all the outside
jobs in readiness for the girl to get wet.
   Tuesday 23rd. Crane in
place, strops in place, lift and trundle. Skipper had gone
off to pay our bill and once again I was being hoisted into the air. Very
un-nerving as I pidgeon-Portuguese-ing that Beez and me were leaning well over
to starboard. I wasn't too worried but I didn't want to spill my glass of wine.
A strange way to travel.
   Safely back in the wet,
next boat in the hoist, back round to Lagos Marina to book in and fuel
up.
 Whilst skipper was booking us in I waited quietly, when these
fellas pulled up I thought I had died, gone to heaven and adopted the frisk
position, sadly these Maritime Police were being trained by the fella on the right. I couldn't think of
anything quick enough to cause suspicion and get my dream to become reality. Oh
well I had to make do with admiring their engines.
Next few days saw us sorting out the
boat, going shopping, dodgers re-fitted, rope checks, winch service, cupboards
washed and aired. Box of books and bits ready to go back to UK - all very
cathartic.
First outing for the
brand new Genoa. Original one awaiting service and
machine repair "when I get the space to lay it out
somewhere"
Saturday late afternoon thunder
started to rumble. By late evening full on thunder and lightening. Watched The
Shooter, a really well written script with plenty of special effects. Storm
continued all night. Sunday 28th, rain continues,
torrential in the afternoon, so indoor jobs. Could be worse, we could be at sea.
"I now regret not filling the water tanks before the rain, guess who's job
it is".
   The ceaseless rain
on the window meant you couldn't see out at all.
Middle of the afternoon it looked like Armageddon. Early evening was lighter
than the afternoon. The late evening brought the worst
squalls of all, with winds over 40 knots. Something suddenly didn't feel right
as Beez lurched over with an alarming and unrecognisable noise. Bear went
to investigate and found a large canvas ( about 20 feet long ), at a guess a
boat cover. It had hit our rigging and then wrapped itself around the
spreaders of the boat facing us. As there was no-one aboard Bear fought the
wild beast alone as an elderly bystander watched, supervised and made the
odd comment, he eventually got it down safely. There were several worried
looking Dutch crew wandering around, trying to get in touch with the emergency
boat yard staff as their friend had been dismasted in the
marina. The colour of the water coming through our pump flush is
a foul brown, we guess from a burst river bank somewhere inland. The restaurants
are desrted and between each squall there is an eerie silence. Then the
lightening begins once again like a mad firework show and within seconds its
like a fire hydrant explodes. We feel for anyone out at sea.
With all this rain we now we know why Portugal is so green and
grows such big melons.
 Skipper fitting a new
pump sensor for the grey waste tank, that is to
electronically pump water from the showers and hand basins. Glue smell
MARVELLOUS.
During this time I got out the 2009
calendar I had bought for Bear in Plymouth, needless to say "a traveller's
calender - 1000 places to see before you die". July happens to feature Imperial
Cities of Morocco. A plan began to form, I put GPS on and plotted a course to
Rabat. 205 miles, silly not to wander that way, then on to Madeira, well
skipper did tell me there are a series of lows out at sea, causing
storms, "relatively speaking then, coast hugging to Morocco ???.
"OK" he said, "just a quick once round the Casbah". "Right,
hair cut time". Are you really going to do a grade one all over, don't you
think its getting wintry. "NO. No more Captain Birds Eye
impressions from you".
Soon as we can slip away from Lagos,
its to Rabat to take in Casablanca, Sahara, Fez and Agadir. All in all a good
plan. Pity she had so much thinking time during the
storm.
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