Monday 10th July- Saturday 15th July
Another fairly busy week. All our neighbours have moved on except for Sam & Steve (wanderlust) so without any outside distraction, we set to with jobs on the boat. We have our list pinned up on the bulkhead, not as long as the 2 we had in Las Palmas. One of the time consuming job is varnishing. We have loads to do. We do need to varnish the cockpit table, the sole boards, all of them, the galley and that just for starters! Off course it does not help that things keep breaking down too, the fore hatch, the one above our bed has given up the ghost, the system that keeps it open failed. Not so good, we have to prop it open which is not very convenient when rain is on and off all day and all night. Not sure at this stage how we are going to fix this, the spring has obliterated the casing where it rest. We probably need some professional help there. In the meantime we are roasting when the rain hits at night.
Monday is washing day….What a chore! we go over to Spice Island Marine where they have 2 washing machines, the old fashion tub one with a big component in the middle. You can hardly put anything in it. So it is 3 loads for us… well that the whole morning gone! And then I still need to rinse most of our clothes as dirt has congregated on some of our stuff. And to think we have a brand new washing machine at home! I tell you washing day is a full day’s work. Yes, it was a third of the price than giving it to the nice lady in Prickly bay as we did last January, but much more effort.
We need to make a start on the big boat jobs, varnishing is the biggest. To keep it contained as we have not that much room to spread out and it takes ages to dry, we only sanded the cockpit table, right back to the wood, took all afternoon. Ready to varnish first thing In the morning. We are using a 2 pack varnish, which should be more resistant to wear, unfortunately my assistant mixes far too much of the stuff, and when I say far too much, we have enough to varnish 4 floor boards and the area around the sink with the first batch. Of course this mean that we are frantically sanding the extra bits as we go along, before the varnish sets in its pot. Not ideal, and now we have a cockpit full of sole boards, the very thing we were trying to avoid! Still at the end of the day it feels good to see how much we have achieved. Only another 3 coats to apply after light sanding. No wonder it took us 3 days. Still it is a good beginning, although probably not to my usual standard, it is a bit cramped in the cockpit and even more cramped down below when we have to shield them from the occasional shower (we try to rig up a tarpaulin but with the wind not really protective).
We are glad when Sam & Steve invite us for dinner on Thursday. The varnishing in the galley has made it difficult to cook and wash up. We have gone back to doing all this food prep and washing up on deck, like we use to do during the Atlantic crossing. Sam is an excellent cook; you can always trust a vegetarian to turn out interesting dishes. Loved her glass noodles salad and grilled fish… I am stealing her recipe. Late night again, too much fun and banter and stories to be told. We had a ball.
On Friday, to give us a break from the varnishing we go food shopping, always cheers Ian up to have a fridge full. And there is loads of good stuff in the IGA, a bit expensive in comparison with the French Islands, but there are some bargains to be had and I really want these glass noodles! Not sure how or why, but the dry herbs and spices section is jam full with anything you can think of and at less than £3 per 159gr, I stock up on oregano, chives, basil, tarragon, pimientos and even sesame seeds! And bagels, haven’t had bagels for months! Maybe I should not be let loose in there. There has been so many time when you can’t find what you need or want in the shops in the last 6 months that I tend to overdo it when I find stuff we like. Guess it doesn’t matter; we have enough herbs to see us through for the next 5 years. Where am I going to put them?
Friday is the steel band night followed by the live band at the Tikki bar. We usually listen to it from the boat it is so loud, but tonight we decide to join Sam and Steve ashore. The place is packed, they have a huge party eating there, but that makes for a very good atmosphere. As per usual we end up on the dance floor for most of the evening. Feel good to be shaking our stuff, music is excellent and the crowd is varied and friendly. Nice way to end a very productive week.