Monday 28 March 2016

Apparently the northeast monsoon is ending on schedule as southwest onshore breezes are becoming fairly reliable. As with sail to Penang, today was good, though not enough without obnoxious undersole noise to make the adverse current, 70 NM distance in a timely fashion.

Friday

Good news: Global warming has not destroyed all terrestrial life on the planet below the top of Mt. Ararat and politicians have not destroyed all agreeable life on Earth with draconian measures to combat it. However, motor gear on port sheet winch is totally buggered and winch frame is cracked. Mr. Chan can apparently weld frame, but not until Wednesday and we must be in Singapore NLT Sunday. Not only that, but even when fixed and until a new motor can be acquired (probably by end of April) that winch must be cranked manually.. by hand. How do we cope if starboard tack is required? Oh sure, virtually everyone out here extols the freedom, beauty and health of this lifestyle (including me in the odd lucid moment), but don't be fooled. Stay home, be safe and age gracefully.

Saturday

More good news: We have 4 days, which would otherwise have been squandered in having fun, to fix everything else on the boat that is in need.

Even better news: A quick perusal of the aforementioned compilation reveals that only the most trifling headway can be made in said list so the 'squander' option has been revived. A suggestion that carousing and farting around should be added so that something would get worked on is tempting, but as the job is never done it just wouldn't be helpful.

Jack