The marina routine has somehow left no time for the blog. That is surprising since the work done on the boat is fairly minimal and there isn’t a lot else to do.

The normal routine is up at 6 (ish) for a couple of hours on the boat before it gets too hot. Then breakfast at the marina café then shower and a little rest then another hour or so’s work before shower and lunch at the café. Siesta after lunch is required by local custom leaving not much time for a work session before tea (shower and rest), another brief visit to the boat before shower, drinks on the balcony and supper at the café. The café has a very good selection of dishes for breakfast, lunch and supper, all well prepared and reasonably priced.  

I may not have mentioned that we are staying in the marina hotel having accepted that the boat is not habitable without electricity and the need to strip out the contents to clean the 2.5 years of accumulated mouldy deposits.

The hotel if very habitable with good shower, fridge for cold drinks, comfy bed and balcony facing west for sundowner drinks. The ability to collapse in our room after a cold shower is the only way we can achieve even the shortest work session during the day.

Today was an exception to the normal routine as I took a trip with Peter & Greg into the city of Mataram to look for batteries for me and various materials for Greg to build his cockpit cover. Peter is the (English) builder/owner of the Marina with his Indonesian wife, and is extremely helpful, driving us around town visiting the numerous shops to find obscure stuff mostly for Greg. Greg is a long term American/British marina occupant having been stuck like us due to covid. He is a professional  teacher, photographer, medic, diver, rugby playing man for all seasons with a 55 ft boat full of amazing tools for undertaking any possible boat related job.

My main tasks so far have been to unstick things that should move but had stopped moving after so long stationary. The prop shaft was persuaded with bashing the prop by hammer and timber board. The steering wheel was more

stubborn and has involved fighting my way into the wheel pedestal using several borrowed tools from Greg and drilling, cutting and chiseling the solidified wheel locking device. I have achieved rudder motion now but at the expense of an abused pedestal.

Here are some more pleasant marina photos

The boats on the hard-we are on the extreme right.

The hotel.

The café

View west

View East

Balcony view just before the mosquitoes begin to bite.

I hope to begin to diagnose electrical issues tomorrow with a new battery for testing purposes