High and Dry ( not as in alcohol! )

Moonbeam
David and Lynn Wilkie
Sun 10 Oct 2010 17:09
Sunday probably scored a negative in the achievement stakes after our night out. However things were about to change!
On Monday I went to speak to Lucy in the boatyard office about the possibility of hauling out for a couple of days. She said they were busy but how about Tuesday AM? So mad panic to prepare Moonbeam for hauling out! While Moonbeam was only launched late March we have already covered 3000 miles and with the same again to go before the end of the year it seemed prudent to have a check over seacocks, service max prop, repack sterngland and while out add another coat of antifouling including changing the white "boottop" from enamel to antifouling!
Tuesday late morning the yard lifted Moonbeam and took great care to get the slings correct and even apologised for the time it took!- I replied that getting it right was fine by me!
 
     
 
   Moonbeam looks small in the 90 ton hoist
 
We worked until 8pm and the yard lads were amused by the sight of Lynn in her boilersuit- they did not know she only had her bathing costume on underneath !! - not the norm in Ardfern!
There was a hold up the following day when the boat shifter had a puncture but 'Fidel' worked through his siesta to get sorted and relaunch us. I heard a story that he ran over his own foot while operating the remote control-- so beware China!  All jobs completed including a double polishing of the topsides and Moonbeam attracted many admiring comments. Our friend Mary ( aka Mrs Bumble Bee) turned up with some goodies ordered for the boat and a wonderful present of Scottish Smoked Salmon which we will keep for Christmas. Unfortunately she was not dressed to help with antifouling!
The yard were very competent and friendly.
 
Thursday morning Mary turned up to take us on a supermarket tour to top up stocks and afterwards we went for lunch at a shoreside fish restaurant- it was high tide and we were almost splashed by the light spray on the shore!
 
 
Lynn is busy planning the menus and stores for the Atlantic Crossing- 5 crew and a nominal 20 days means 100 person/days food and drink ( and loo paper! ) so there is a fair bit of planning and shopping to do as well as solving the problem of where to put it all! Plus we would like to have some stores left for the Caribbean!  Food is always an important part of cruising and shopping in foreign countries is often accompanied by much thumbing of the phrase book. For a while we wondered if " bife de Peru " was llama meat. However we rumbled the truth when our " Peru Sausages" had a picture of a turkey on the packet!
Friday first thing Lynn headed for the laundry ( she said the twin tub was not working! ) and I carried out rig checks on a couple of yachts. One was a cutter rigged Moody 46 where the owner has been unhappy with the rig since he purchased the yacht 3 years ago and various riggers have had a go to sorting it out. After a very hot few hours the owner announced himself happy so hopefully he will have a 'tight luff' for the rest of his cruise.
 
Race Boats getting ready
 
     
 
    We don't live in it!