We ain’t working’ tomorrow. We both agreed before we left home that we were NOT on a death march this time, so we’re taking the day completely free from boat work. We may not even go to the yard!

Weather has been unsettled this week, so we haven’t broken into a typical winter season. I was planning on ascending the mast today to re-drill and tap for some machine screws that attach our radome to the mast, but I was tired and the weather didn’t cooperate. I was not disappointed! Still, we got a lot done with tasks both inside and outside the boat.

The yard crew has not worked on the varnish, but they have completed the bottom painting. They’ve applied anti-smear tape to the wood that they’ll varnish, but if they don’t hurry, they’ll have to reapply that. We will try to splash the boat by mid-week so they need to hurry.

Conni has worked like a dog in the cockpit, polishing all of the stainless, cleaning the noxious chemical bin, and sorting things for return home or disposal. A lot of items were destroyed by the noxious mix that appeared in that bin, among them a strong Mexican carburetor cleaner and, Conni discovered today, a few quarts of a mix of hydrochloric and phosphoric acid that goes by the trade name of “OffOn”. It’s the best, the only, material to use for certain kinds of stain and the heat and carb cleaner likely damaged the container an it, too, added its chemical mix to whatever was there. We have a “chain hook” that we use when we anchor, and it’s made of galvanized steel. It lost a good 1/16” of metal from the bin brew. It consumed galvanized steel! It was potent stuff.

I haven’t mentioned the driving that we’ve done, to and from the yard. There is a rush hour, although a very winding two lane road sets its limits. Everyone drives no faster than 35 mph since the road is so winding as it follows the coastline, and there are pedestrians in singles and groups, cyclists, motorcyclists, and lots of birds that one must share the road with. One drives slowly and is always ready to pull toward the shoulder when the oncoming car must swerve to miss one of the above.

The road winds along the coast, allowing view to the lagoon, a tiny bay with local boats floating in it, or small hidden homes surrounded by tropical trees. It’s a lovely road and as a rider, it’s fun to watch the little community’s rhythm cycle along.

I found that all of the normal solvents that I’m used to buying are available only in plastic bottles. Plastic? Why not metal? The answer was apparent to me after the bin brew disaster: metal rusts away completely! Plastic doesn’t. It’s a solution to a problem that I’ve never encountered before. Clever folks.

When we are working on the boat and there’s even the slightest chance that we’ll be locked into the yard, we park outside the gate, knowing that we could scale the fence in extremis. Our normal parking spot is just outside the fence that surrounds Bernard Moitessier’s old boat. As we were leaving the yard today, we suddenly were joined by two camera-wielding French women on bicycles. I mentioned to them that the boat they were approaching belonged to Moitessier, and they both smiled and said that they knew. I then told them that he was my hero and they both produced big smiles, snapped several photos of the boat, and rode away. I’ll bet that he was their hero, too.

That Conni sure can cook! Yesterday, we had found some pork chops at the market that we found, and, breaking off work early, she prepared a feast of pan-seared chops and veggies. We always enjoy a pre-meal cheese plate, so it was a fine Saturday night meal. Thanks, Conni!

Tomorrow, we’re sleeping in, we’ll enjoy our coffee, baguette, and butter on our little porch, and enjoy the island. I hope to have some nice photos for you.