Another wonderful day with Williams on the water! Last night we decided we should have a day off after the bilge cleaning marathon. We really wanted to go for a sail but first we need to check that the windlass works (that's the winch that hauls up the chain and anchor). Janso described it as 'tired' but Col is convinced it wasn't working well because the battery was playing up. So, having dropped the anchor a couple of days ago we started the engine to get ready. Oh no, Col notices the batteries are very low, why? He wrestles with this for a while and eventually discovers a wire from the alternator regulator has come off - no, don't ask, I did and just got gobble-de-gook, something to do with a field!? At least we know the batteries are OK now so we can start again. First we agree on hand signals, Col will be at the bow giving hand signals whilst I am at the helm and using the remote windlass control. Should be OK, I'm a woman after all and we are supposed to be good at multi-tasking. By now we have decided that we should not attempt a sail but just get this windlass testing out of the way and that will be enough for one day on our plan to do baby-steps until we're confident.

Col and I agree on a method for taking off the snubbers (extra warps (ropes) on a hook to take the strain of the anchor chain off the windlass). Col completes this task as I make my way back to the helm. Moving slowly forward, I press the 'Up' button and up comes the chain. Col's hand signals are pretty clear, if a little balletic, and I try and keep the boat on course with one hand whilst operating the windlass with the other. Its a bit stop and start but eventually I get the two thumbs up and the anchor is clear. Then its out to sea for a short motor into deeper water so I can turn around. By now the wind has got up as we head out into open water and Picaroon rides the waves well as I turn her full circle to head back into Salinas Bay.

Its Sunday and tomorrow is yet another Puerto Rican holiday so there are lots of power boats, fishing boats, jetskis and other floating obstacles coming towards us as we enter the narrow channel. Nobody seems to bother about passing starboard to starboard so I just go with the flow and keep Picaroon out of the shallows. We decide on a spot to drop the anchor and approach slowly. Again I am required to multi-task at the helm but as the wind pushes us around I completely forget about steering and the boat is swinging all over the place as I let he anchor chain run moving slowly back rather erratically. Eventually the wind sorts us out and we are safely on anchor, checking transits (no not vans, just two static points on land) to make sure we are not moving.

Phew! well now we can relax. After about ten minutes, Colin says, we really should fix the dingy! So here we are at the Snack bar at the end of a long day. We ended up really filthy dragging the dingy ashore, fixing three punctures and cleaning off the marine life on the bottom. At least it wasn't the two inch coral reef we were welcomed with when first introduced to our dingy but it was bad enough. After we had finished, Col slipped badly on some mud, I split my trousers from knee to crutch and then sat on his little finger getting into the dingy. Still that's boating as Janso would say! And the Budweiser is cold and going down very well indeed. Time for another!