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!
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