12.27.355N
61.29.317W
OK, it’s Monday and still no workers showed up to work on Orpailleur. As soon as we found out, I dropped Dale off at the yard to help Gerry. They were “loaned” the only 2 sanders available and sanded all day.
I headed back to the Palace to run the genset and make some lunch to take back to them, before dropping off laundry at the little “Yacht Club” next door to be washed.
After lunch, I dinked back to our boat and ran the genset again, made water and started making dinner. I was hailed on the radio to come pick up the enclosure panel from the sail loft, so back I dinked to the yard to check on the laundry and pick up Nicky; someone needs to help me land the dink.
At this point, the guys looked like Smurfs! In spite of the fact that they were both wearing face masks and goggles, every inch of them was covered with blue dust. Gerry looked particularly Smurffy when he placed his white face mask on his head like a little hat when he took it off to speak.
At the sail loft, I found the panel is not as finished as I would have like it to be but it will get us home and is infinitely better than duck tape.
Landing the dink at the beach in front of the sail loft wasn’t nearly the chore as getting it back into the water, pushing it out far enough to get the engine down without hitting the ground, getting into it and leaving without looking like fools. Of course, Nicky and I got the giggles as soon as the first wave knocked us back. After about 3 tries and realizing that we were fighting an incoming tide, we finally made it, with all of our shoes, a fair amount of sand and with the full knowledge that the locals sitting under the shade tree where splitting their sides laughing at our actions.I dropped Nicky off at the yard and went back to the Palace to wash up all of the dishes I used and to run a laundry line in the cockpit. (Note to Dale: I did not use every pan in the galley; there was one left!)
I dropped an enchilada casserole off at the chateau to cook, along with a towel and some clean clothes for Dale and picked up the laundry to take back to the boat. I hung the laundry in the cockpit, then dinked to the store to grab some sodas for dinner.
When I returned to the chateau, I was told my husband needed assistance in getting clean. They weren’t kidding. I ended up using a nylon wash net to get the paint dust off his face and out of his eyes and ears and then used a hand brush to get the paint off the back of his neck, his elbows, the backs of his arms and legs. He complained like a five year old but was squeaky clean when done.
Once both the guys were scrubbed and clean, we sat down for dinner and the ice cream bars we had purchased a couple of days ago. Nicky & I learned that an electrician came by today to track down the electrical problem from yesterday and found a power cord on the boat next to them was bad and dumping 220 volts into the ground which ultimately found its way to Orpailleur. Once the power cord was repaired, the problem went away.
Tonight, we are all exhausted and the anchorage is quiet. Gerry & Nicky aren’t getting zapped, I’m no longer zooming back and forth in the dink on all of my errands and Dale escaped the shower with some skin left.
Photos from the camera of Orpailleur.
