Well while I'm still in Scotland, things have been getting busy in Lagos. Ju reports that Pete and Ralph fitted the new boom and rodkicker on 29 January, bent on the mainsail and wired up all the reefing lines, ready for us to lead them all back to the cockpit. Easier reefing in future, hurrah! Fine tuning remains to be done by raising the sail in anything but a north wind (which hits the boat from astern) to finalise the setting of the rodkicker. But then she'll be a different experience to sail!

I should be able to return in about ten days or so, all being well.

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Since new year Little Else has been put on hold rather, partly because of Ju's arm which is taking its own good time to heal, partly because of a small health problem which has despatched me back to the UK until I can get it fixed, which should now be within a week or so.

Meantime today the new boom should be safely riveted into place and the old one despatched to the second hand market, so progress is being made on that front.

More anon when the mist clears.

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Well now for a new decade! After the Christmas Party all was calm, and on Boxing Day the weather was better so we went off on a walk out to the end of the peninsula and the lighthouse at Punta de Piedade. We watched the waves crashing on the cliffs for a while, then came back via a nice English pub where we watched two football matches simultaneously and had a pub lunch. We were walking back to the boat, and had just crossed the town's main square when suddenly Ju fell down on to the cobbles, cried out in pain and just couldn't get up, having injured her arm. I waited with her until she felt she could get up, walked slowly to a taxi and headed for casualty in the town's old hospital.

They couldn't have been more kind, helpful and efficient. Within two hours we had been triaged, seen by a doctor, xrayed, seen by the doctor again for prescription and diagnosis (other way round) and we were back on the boat. The wrist wasn't broken, just severely jarred, and painkillers were prescribed.

Friends on the marina were equally kind, offering lifts to further hospital or doctor visits (which we did two days later as Ju was still in horrific pain and really couldn't move her right arm much at all). Further xrays of the upper right arm revealed no cracked or broken bones either, and a second doctor prescribed pills and ointment.

Our near neighbour on the pontoon turned out to be a homeopath, and attended each day regularly, sometimes twice, with arnica granules and instructions to me as to how to administer these.

It's now 8 days since the fall, and Ju still can't do very much with her right arm, so I'm on cooking, washing up, and lots of other stuff. I hope this sorts itself out, otherwise we may have to delay our plans for the spring. However, we'll jump that bridge when the water has gone under it! To mix a few elderly metaphors!

Meantime the patient is resting quietly, looking forward to a coffee party with cake! Outside the rain still pours.

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