Nearly a successful day
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Thu 30 Jun 2011 06:57
To be more exact I know where they are, but even on the R Plan diet I
can't get to them. The initial investigation into the between-deck void
disclosed a bulkhead between the void and the nuts. A Panel in my cabin
wall revealed the port fuel tank and finally, after paying a quick visit
to my newest favourite shop to purchase a new set of unrusted allen keys,
removing the water-tight bulkhead in the aft of the port engine
compartment revealed a lot of mud, a buggered Icom SSB ATU unit and an
impossibly small space between two mouldings and the bar 'wot joins the
rudders together John' which would lead me to be able to get a grip on me
nuts.
Underneath the bridgedeck there was an access panel with about 12
self-tappers. Promising, somebody had even greased them so they were easy
to unscrew. Wonderful!! It will be a stretch, but it will be done.
Well, it would be done if the access panel hadn't been really well
masticked-on. Before it's irrevocably damaged during a forced removal with
my newly acquired crow-bar, I've sent an email to Mark at MultiHull World
to see if I've missed an access point anywhere. Oh yes, at my favourite
store, Andy kindly brought me a look-alike Stanley knife, so when it all
gets too much I can self-harm with a clean sharp blade (oh it's all
getting too much, now where the hell did I put the sterile dressings?). On
a more successful note, I was able to remove the davit arm and of course
I've found a new small smelly place to clean out, aren't I the lucky one!
We took a break and went to see the changing of the guard at the
Presidential Palace. Not exactly on the same scale as Buck House and
personally I can't see it becoming a major tourist attraction. Basically a
soldier in a long white Sulu (or skirt) and a smart shirt stands for long
periods at ease in the centre of the drive up to the palace. Every couple
of minutes he comes to attention, shoulders arms (with a fixed bayonett),
marches across the drive a couple of times, stamping his feet as he turns,
then marches back to the centre and returns to the 'at ease' position. Two
similarly dressed soldiers march down the hill in line abreast. As they
approach the gate they go into column and march to one side of the
gateway. The corporal shouts a lot, then the relief marches over to his
mate, lines up in the 'at ease position', then at another barked command,
the relieved springs to attention, marches away from the corporal, stamps
feet, marches over to the corporal and they then leave in column
formation, going into line abreast once they're inside the gateway.
meanwhile Newman marches across the width of the driveway a couple of
times, then assumes the 'at ease' position. Trust me, even if you were
there it wouldn't be any better than my description, but they took it very
seriously and looked smart in a picturesque way.
I've been completely innundated by potential candidates for the crew
position, so I'm only able to accept applications for another, oh let's
say five or six months before the list closes and we move onto the
short-listing process.
Fiji: +6799212518
A writer's life for me?
http://roastbeefonsundays.blogspot.com/