Rotten Night

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 29 Sep 2010 04:39

Alongside Yacht Club de Chile, Valparaiso
Weather: Sunny, warm

A rotten night last night. The wind has been in the north the last couple of days, to which Valparaiso Bay is open and the sea and swell have been invading the marina entrance. Sylph is berthed right opposite the entrance and has been tugging to and fro on her lines mercilessly. Fortunately I had doubled up the lines yesterday, this morning one of them had chafed through completely and the another was half way gone. Despite a restless night I got up reasonably early, put out more lines and chafing pieces on the lines. then went into town and got the visa extension.  Just as well, it turns out it expires tomorrow. Pleasantly painless. Still waiting for the extension to Sylph’s temporary import permit.

Enjoyed lunch and a beer in a nice little pub restaurant. Back on board I painted the base for the port sheet winch and serviced the head (marine toilet), the less said about this last item of maintenance the better.

And an extract from the “Journal of a Disappointed Man” which struck me:

Looking up from a rockpool, where I had been watching Gobies, I saw three children racing across the sands to bathe, I saw a man dive from a boat, and I saw a horseman gallop his mare down to the beach and plunge about in the line of breakers. The waters thundered, the mare whinnied, the children shouted to one another, and I turned my head down again to the rockpool with a great thumping heart of happiness: it was so lovely to be conscious of the fact that out there this beautiful picture was awaiting me whenever and as often as I chose to lift my head. I purposely kept my head down, for the picture was so beautiful I did not want to hurt it by breathing on it, and I kept my head down out of a playful self-cheating delight; I decided not to indulge myself.

All is well.

Bob Cat:

For the record, I take no responsibility for any sentiments expressed by the skipper, I am not a touch feely cat. No tuna - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz