12.27.355N
61.29.317W
At 6:30am, Dale and I started the genset to run the refrigerator and do another load of laundry (compliments of Nicky’s machine) before heading over to Orpailleur to help in whatever way we could in their move from sea to “on the hard.”
I dropped Dale off on Orpailleur at 7:30 and tied their yellow duck to our dinghy to ferry it into the dinghy dock. I brought my camera and took a stance at the end of the haul out slip. As boats or dinghies approached, I’d wave them off or ask permission to move them to clear a path for Orpailleur should the need arise.
I watched as Orpailleur hoisted her anchor and made her way through the anchorage. Two line handlers came out just as she approached the haul out slip and grabbed her lines when Nicky and Dale tossed them ashore. They expertly pivoted her around her bow and then secured her stern to the lift. Everyone climbed off and the lift was moved into place. Edmund, the man who had done most of the work on our boat last year was operating the lift this year. It’s nice to see that he’s advanced in the yard as he was a hard worker.Orpailleur was hoisted out of the water and over the materials left at the water’s edge to be pressure cleaned. Then she was moved to her resting spot for the next few days.
Dale and I said our farewells and returned to the Palace so that he could retrieve our boat papers and bum a ride into town to get our mail.
I stayed back and hung out my nickers, then started my own boat projects. I had decided that the bright work needed a bit of polishing and began at the pulpit. By the time that I was ready for a break, Nicky called to say that Dale had returned from his trip into town and to come collect him.I took advantage of being at “the wheel” and got the dink on plane on my trip in to pick him up. Lots of fun when we’re the last boat out.
The rest of the afternoon was spent dividing my time between polishing the stainless and going through the mail. Once again, that x-ray bill lurked unpaid. I didn’t know whether to swear like a sailor or cry. I’m so frustrated, I can’t see straight. So I’d go back to polishing the stainless to put it aside. When I’d get too hot, I’d return to the mail and try to organize it into piles that made sense.
Dale, spent his day upside down in the bilge trying to locate the water leak we’ve seen. So far none of the seacocks are leaking and all of the water hose connections are tight. He did find that one of the sump pumps isn’t working but that wouldn’t contribute to a salt water leak, just another something to be repaired.By 5:30 or 6:00, Gerry called to see if Dale wanted to come over to the chalet for a cold beer. No hesitation was in that answer. A half hour later we joined them in their comfortable but sparse chalet. We were all dog tired. The consensus was to head into town and pick up a pizza but no one was moving very quickly towards the door. No matter how much we all deny it, old age is creeping in and our tired bones were crying for mercy. We hobbled back to the dinghy and managed to climb in without falling in and found a little restaurant that served pasta, pizza and rum punch.
We ate to our fill and then returned Gerry & Nicky to the dock in front of their chalet and then returned to our own Palace. We haven’t been successful in logging into the internet today but I’ll give it another try before heading to bed. Dale is becoming desperate to update his driving license and we do need to re-register all of our vehicles/vessels.
Tomorrow, we’ll continue with our projects and maybe take a break to take a dinghy ride in to look at the mangrove swamps.
