Hard work and frustration

Oriole
Sun 7 Dec 2008 17:52
Chaguaramas, Trinidad  10:40.76N 61:37.90W
 
We arrived back in Trinidad to find the painters still hard at work on our coach roof although the cockpit was largely finished.  This meant that we could start the laborious task of refitting all the deck fittings, clutches, winches, hatches, which had been removed by us in June to get the paint job done.  The inside of Oriole was also in chaos with all the headlinings (ceilings) down so we could get to the underside of everything that was bolted through. 
 
 
Oriole stripped for painting
 
Most of the lights had been disconnected but joy of joys our obsessional waterproofing had prevented any water getting below through the holes for the deckfittings as the painters use a lot of water for washing down before painting.  We managed to continue to work without getting in their way but they were still at it the day we launched with some touching up to do even after that! 
 
 
We could see this wonderful phenomenon too.
 
We have been getting up at 0430 and working till 1800 with a break in the middle of the day when it is too hot to work. Now a month after we returned the work is finished, we have reassembled the boat back together again, and we should be ready to leave.   However we have now been waiting for three weeks for a new liferaft to arrive from the UK - original estimate 6 days.  It has sat for a fortnight at Heathrow while the Customs and Security Officials made a meal of preventing it getting on its booked flight.  It is now due to arrive in Trinidad on Tuesday and apparently has already arrived in Barbados and is awaiting the next available flight. 
Meanwhile we were supposed to be in Bequia 150 miles north of here for Annette Ridout's 60th birthday party.  Our Trinidad friends Don and Cathryn (Don is the Trinidad RCC local representative) were due to stay on Oriole in Bequia and they had organised a big party on Tuesday evening.  Well!  to cut a long story short we are flying up to Bequia tomorrow so we can attend both parties and hope that our liferaft will be here when we return on Thursday. 
 
 
Oriole awaiting her liferaft raring to go.
 
Kind friends here will be keeping an eye on Oriole in our absence. By the time we write again next weekend we hope that we will have sailed or at least be ready to go.