The Big Clean .......
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Mon 17 Oct 2011 16:10
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Gran Canaria Monday 17th October 1548
UTC
We are now legal immmigrants and official berth
holders on the International Wall in Las Palmas Marina. All I can say to you
about this state of affairs is that you should never accept the word of a marina
when they tell you they don't have space. We have gone into several marinas
round the world who told us and everyone else they were full and claimed a
berth!
As I was sailing up from Capetown I had e-mailed in
advance to book a berth. The inevitable response however came back "sorry we are
completely full with the ARC" (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). It was the same
story when we were departing two years ago.... but we still got our
berth.
So working on the pretext that it is easier
sometimes to ask for forgiveness than permission, I confirmed with Trish
that she should book her flight to Gran Canaria and that I would be in the
marina waiting for her. So I just pitched up from Capetown knowing full well
they would have space and talked my way in to a prime berth at least until
Wednesday but I am sure much longer if I want.
But I don't think I do. I was overwhelmed the past
couple of days with a sense of underwhelming anti climax, and feel sort of a
little lost...... So I met this Spanish guy who was born in Moroocco and
he spent some time there this year on his boat. I now have a couple of
contact numbers there and I wander if there is time for one more wee adventure
on the way back to Gibraltar?
This morning both Trish and I got stuck into the
cleaning. It is an embarrassment here on the International Wall where the
locals and cruisers alike wander along of an evening to admire the large yachts.
All the larger yachts are crewed, many are new and all are heading out across
the Atlantic and some no doubt will go further - maybe even round the
world.
We however have already been that way and have just
arrived back from two years and almost 40,000 miles short and single handed
sailing. So you see among all these other boats we were compelled by pride to
get scrubbing and polishing and what a pleasant day it was....... Me slaving on
the decks to cries from below of "oh my god this is disgusting!" "there is
a filthy hand print on this oven glove - did you use it for cleaning the floor?"
and "did you actually look under this shower tray?" Good grief as if I had
nothing else to do for six weeks but housekeeping and my dimly lit superficial
tidy up and presentation of the boat on Saturday was soon seen
through......
Rhiann Marie is however slowly moving her way up
the rankings on the "wall" of best presented boats.
I have now got a chance to sort out some
photographs of my solo voyage which I will get onto the blog in the next couple
of days.
Also I have a large number of e-mails to respond to
and I will try and do that too. It has been great to hear from you all and
receive so many good wishes and congratulations. All are appreciated and I will
do my best....
I also have a question for you all, but I think it
will keep for a day or so.....
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