9-15 september

If Knot Y Knot
Patricia Day
Sat 15 Sep 2012 23:28
Sunday 9
Time to cheer up things could be worse just be thankful they aren't.
Drained the oil so the leaky bolt in the sump can be sorted again.
Got the seawater pump off, took 2 hours.
Went to play dominos.
Monday 10
Went into the office - 10 days and I am nowhere. One set of guys work thursday-tuesday lunchtime, the others work monday-saturday lunchtime; and I am still waiting for the rudder to drop so we can get on.
Decided to cut the pin, same decision was made days ago but they kept bashing away. So they spent another day bashing away until at 1630 they decided to cut the pin. Half-hour later it is done, tomorrow the rudder should be down.  I am sure Richard will not charge me for all the wasted labour, as I agreed to cutting the pin days ago.
Chris came and is ordering the engine parts and seen what I want done.
Things will be slow (!) as it is Guatemalan Independence Day this weekend and if there's one thing the Latinos know how to do it's party.
Bought the guys Pepsi and ice and baked them a cake which they appreciated.
Somewhere on this boat is an unopened bottle of Baileys with which I could use up some of the ice before it melts. Found it.
A computer repair man is down from the city for a week. Susie took me on her scooter, which they keep on their boat Cabaret.
I have been sharing the front cabin with more and more stuff. I am now going to use it for storage and am going to sleep in the main cabin.
Tuesday 11
6am I took off lowest hydrovane inside support. Wood not as bad as I expected but will replace it anyway. The steel plate should clean up and paint.
Had a huge tidy up of the boat and it looks and feels a lot better - under the circumstances.
Had a shower and lunch and was going to take it easy for the afternoon sewing more seat cushions.
The guys that (by law) don't work Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday do this week.
They dropped the rudder, dug a deeper hole, etc. Until the rudder came out.  The 3 plastic pieces looked ok but I have asked for replacements. After all this effort I will be very unhappy if I still have any wobble.
They are coming back tomorrow and so I had to move all the stuff I had put under the boat in case they start sanding.
People wonder what I do after 6pm - it's dark and I am shattered.
Wednesday 12
wanted to get all the things done that need 5200 as it won't keep once opened.
anode, log and depth replacements, seal down fuel filler caps and the inside hydrovane supports.
I was ready for running the cables for the instruments, the originals were cable tied every 2"!.
I was going to wait for help with the supports as the bolt is outside and the nut (which one?) is inside.  one at a time I took off the steel pads. then I took off the wood pads, doing up the bolts each time which took ages.
I cut one new wood pad out of the old dinghy floor and drilled the bolt holes.
still no show by the guys.
I 5200 each wooden pad to the hull and left them to set. I sanded the metal pads and painted them with anti-corrosion paint, with a sprinkling of grass cuttings!
I sealed the fuel fillers and cleared up the mess I had made. some help would have been good but I am quite impressed with what I achieved.
I had a shower and called for a pick up for movie night.
acetone, detergent and a pumice stone and I am still not very presentable - but it will be dark!
I put the fitting in the cockpit canopy for rain collection. it was a pity to cut it but it will do a lovely job.
Thursday 13
went in to see the boss, going to trust. everything will be fine and the charges will be reasonable.
darwin took off the anode which was 'no bueno' and cleaned it (and the spare). it will be going back on and the spare will go back in the locker.
went to pick up the computer. it turned on and then off. left it and the laptop to be looked at.
darwin has been wet and dry fine sanding my prop shaft for days.  
Just found the setting for auto capitals, don't know how it got turned off, but I am not going back to correct.
Darwin and another guy put the anode on.  Luis came.  It was Pepsi and cakes all round.  Then off to trivia.  We were rubbish but still managed to come in third after the final question.
Friday 14
Internet is down so I did a text message to the office.  Darwin did not get the instrument nuts off yesterday and didn't seem keen this morning. I bashed out the log but couldn't bear to touch the depth as it still works - i hope!  
Darwin is starting to scrape off the antifoul.
I checked my spare sail and it is better than I expected,  so have to find room for that.
I am taking the weekend off, starting this afternoon.
Took the dinghy under the bridge,  past the castle to the lake - adventurous! Tied up to steel magniloas which was the control boat and the finish line for the regatta.
Saw the winner cross then had to start back to get in before dark.
Saturday 15
It is independence day and the river will be busier than usual. There is a dinghy parade -  I am supposed to decorate it!  I managed to keep up by going straight when they went round the bays. There was volleyball with teams from marinas,  locals and the navy. The navy guys were fit, and only 1 brought a big gun, but he didn't play.  Marios marina team beat them in the final.
Their pool is a bit too refreshing for me but I dipped my feet.  Lots of games. A sack race is much easier at 7 than 57.