Dinghy dramas
Blog writing was delayed this week by the weather and our ongoing dinghy dramas.
Murphy’s law could not have been more apt. A dry day was essential for the repair but instead we got 7 straight days of wind and heavy rain! Excellent weather to test out our new tarpaulin for rainwater collection (big success!) and to precisely locate the dinghy leak using food dye (another big success) but completely hopeless weather for carrying out the actual repair. Patience was required.
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As the rain drummed down on the cockpit roof, we turned to inside jobs, me to a lot of canvas sewing projects and Skipper to his electrics. Who knew I had married such an electrical whiz kid? Terms such as volts, currents and watts which perpetually confuse seem to have no such mysteries for Skipper. 3 more flexible solar panels were installed, and external voltage meters wired up to each starter battery to monitor their ongoing health. It was all very impressive and, more importantly, very successful. Our solar capacity has increased yet again improving battery strength on those cloudy days and no longer do we have to take up the berth mattresses every time a starter battery voltage reading is required. Big improvements.
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Finally, at the end of the week the weather changed. Black Friday brought more torrential rain and yet another drenching journey into town with the balers. Returning like drowned rats we somewhat optimistically hoisted the dinghy onto the davits to “dry out.” It seemed like a long shot, but the forecast suggested an improving picture so we persisted. Sure, enough Saturday passed in sunshine and showers and the dinghy began to dry out - we could almost believe. Sunday dawned clear and still - at last, a perfect day for a dinghy repair. We sprang into action like a well-oiled machine. We hadn’t been watching YouTube videos on dinghy repairs the last 7 days for nothing! The hardest part was accessing the leak. After much chat we managed to haul the dinghy over towards the port hull and then rotate her 90 degrees still in the davits. By lying on my back squeezed on top of the engine bay I could just about do it. It wasn’t pretty and it certainly wasn’t like any of the YouTube videos, but we could proceed. Templates were drawn, patches cut, surfaces roughed up and the glue applied. It felt stressful at the time but apart from reducing the “curing steps” to accommodate Polynesian temperatures and humidity it went surprisingly smoothly, and the patch was finally applied at 2pm on Sunday - sound those trumpets! After that it was simply a 24-hour waiting game for the glue to fully cure. We distracted ourselves with other “dry day” jobs, but it still felt like a long wait. I thought Skipper was going to crack on Monday morning, but he was persuaded otherwise, and we continued to wait. 3pm came and went. It was time. We gingerly lowered her back into the water, and she stayed dry. The outboard was transferred onto the stern bracket, and still she stayed dry. We alighted and motored to town to buy much needed provisions – a real test in the strong winds but she passed with flying colours. Honestly it felt like Christmas had come early. We were so happy. Since then, other trips have been made and the patch appears to be holding. We think we are good to go!
Hopefully we will manage that later this week.
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Our enforced staycation in Raiatea has been good but a change of scenery is much needed. It seems like many of our old neighbours have already left. Most of the remaining boats are uninhabited relying on occasional visits to ensure their safety. Although summer, it is “low season” in Polynesia now, and very quiet. The sleek white monohull next door is one such uninhabited boat. It is checked by a very beautiful young couple and believe me I don’t describe them carelessly… They arrive like clockwork every weekend in a very nippy green dinghy all togged up to protect themselves from the worst of the waves. Within minutes of setting foot on the boat, however, a transformation occurs, as layers are removed one at a time in full view! At first, I felt like I was in an episode of “Friends” watching “gorgeous naked couple” instead of “ugly naked man” but now it seems entirely normal to do one’s boat checks in the nude. I have even suggested it to Skipper, but he remains unimpressed reminding me that we are “wrinklies “ after all!
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Other sources of amusement continue to be the wildlife that also seems to be enjoying the relative peace of the low season. Terns encircle the boat noisily between dives, large petrel like birds hover in the wind above the motus, turtles are regular visitors and every lunchtime the black tipped sharks return for their daily forage. When we get the chance to swim we continue to get in our daily "lengths" in the warm water. Afterwards I have been enjoying relaxing in my newly reunited rubber ring courtesy of Mairi and Rob. We also enjoyed incredible night skies over the weekend with the full moon and Jupiter lighting up the waves all around the boat.
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Less entertaining have been the almost continual trade winds. Today I went up on deck only to find that I had lost one of our sheets overboard. It was drying after an early morning wash and with it went 6 sturdy pegs so a double whammy and not a good day. Clearly Carrefour sheets don’t make the grade in a force 6. Our 400 thread count Egyptian cotton ones were all still firmly attached. Quality always pays I have to say! And finally this week I have to report that Skipper was dismayed to discover that his preferred choice of name for a boat charter company "West Coast Charters" has already been taken...in Raiatea. Apparently there is more than one West Coast in the world besides Crinan!
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