The local Brit population here call this place "Port Velcro", I suspect
this is something to do with the fact that once you get here its very
difficult to get away.
I initially intended to stay here for only two weeks but during that two
weeks I had a letter from my insurance telling me they required an out of
water survey and valuation for next years insurance, so I set about getting
it done. The surveys I've had in U.K. have usually been done quite quickly
but it then has taken up to a month to get the report so I thought I'll get
it anti-fouled as well. I opted to have a system called "Cuprotect" which
comes with a 5year guarantee and an expected life of at least 10 years, it
would only taken two weeks to apply, so it would happen well before the
survey was completed! It would also mean the boat would have to be lifted
once every 3 years to have the anodes replaced. This represents quite a
saving! I booked in for it.
I had to wait about a week before I got in the yard, and then, joy oh
joy, I could continue to live on the boat while this was all happening. The
survey happened almost immediately and he came back a couple of days later
with the report, that theory blown out of the water. The boat hadn't even
been cleaned and dried by this time. The boat today is sitting with the
primer on, so it still needs the binder then the top coat of copper which
then has to be left to cure for 3 to 7 days so I might get out of here in a
week or so. When I do get out I'll have to go back to the marina because the
muck flying around here is incredible so I'll need to do a little cleaning,
to get all the fibre glass dust and grit out.
I have decided that pedal cycles are not for me so I've bought me an
Electric Assisted cycle, it does about 20mph but is still too slow for
me(until I crash it). But it is quite heavy, 50kg, and I've now got to work
out how to get it on the boat, lots of rope and pulleys I suspect. It really
has made a difference, yesterday I went to the Marina and back, to the post
office and back, to the cash machine and back and to the beach and back,
normally I would try to combine as many of those as possible, but whizzy
bike makes it so easy.
Next time I send in one of these hopefully I'll be on my way again!
|
