Monday 17 April 2017

Chisels, wedges, blocks of wood and working the pedestal back and forth eventually got the thing off. Think to wait on professional help for removing bolts still implanted in base as "bigger hammer" method using biggest hammer available was ineffective. Hope to never remove it again, but expect to use butyl as sealant this time.

Absent primary winches and steering apparatus including chart plotter and autopilot control, cockpit is open, airy and uncluttered with sufficient room for a stroll - a sleek, modern look. Perhaps we'll keep it this way, motor everywhere so sail handling is unnecessary, use a remote autopilot control to steer and an iPad for navigation. Absent a morse lever for engine management, we could hire a brownie to live in the engine compartment and change direction and RPM using an engine order telegraph like on older ships. Problem is that while really cool and wonderfully nautical, they're also a significant chunk of hardware, undermining original point. Plus the help would probably belong to a militant elf union, make extravagant demands and be off to the North Pole for a month every December. Dang, if it weren't for that we could have had a perfect setup. There are sometimes no easy solutions for the simplest of life's desires.

- Later

Speaking of which, southeast monsoonal shift has occurred making weather perfect for off-wind sail to Christmas Island should anyone wish to go now. Rain has eased and blue sky predominates. However, more sun means more heat, it's still humid, area delights remain limited and we just received result of pathology. Margin at end of involved duct was not clear and one node was positive. Looks like another trip to surgery, perhaps Thursday, for more chopping and removal of all axillary lymph. After that, waiting another week or more for that pathology and probably at least four weeks to begin chemotherapy, which is now certain. Disproportionate Yin in the Yang. Bugger.

Jack