Rain, rain, and more rain!

Yesterday it rained, and rained, and rained. It flooded many homes and stores, especially those that were build with ground level floors. Driving was hazardous, with some parts of the road completely flooded, side to side, with several inches of water. The Society Islands normally receive 120 mm of rain in May and have so far received over 300 mm: climate change is here.

We drove to the yard but simply couldn’t find enough work below deck to warrant staying all day, so we made a dash for the car and headed back to the room. We were out of baguette so stopped at our little market, Casino. The noise of the rain on the metal roof was deafening, the roof leaked, and there was standing water (inches deep) in several places on the floor. With 240VAC powering things, it was not safe!

Back in the room, we spent the day working on projects and reading in the bungalow. We found a setting on the air conditioning unit for “Drying”, and that worked well to remove the humidity.

It started the same this morning, but at 0900, it cleared enough to warrant an attempt to return to the boat. It did rain off and on during the morning, but it finally began to clear. We made ourselves useful in organization tasks, and as it cleared, we began to venture outside. I made inroads in sorting years worth of electrical wiring pieces and parts, cataloging what I have.

Our first task outside was to grease all of the seacocks, a two person task, but important. I was inside, manhandling all of the seacock handles, and Conni was on the ground, applying our purpose-made seacock lubricant. Again, we used our radios to communicate rather than disrupt the entire yard by yelling. She’d swab on the lube, and I’d work the handle to distribute it. In the end we got every seacock.

I was able to get the main zinc changed and we were able to raise the main sail and its accoutrements. So, she’s half a sailboat!

Conni got our forward head prepared for our lives aboard, worked on our berth’s closets, so when we’re about to get splashed, we’ll be ready.

I don’t think that the yard will complete the varnishing project. I’ve done it most years, but was hoping not to have to do it this year. Labor’s cheap here and I have other things to do.

We had wondered if our shower water was solar heated and indeed it is, or isn’t in conditions like these. Of course, neither the kitchen nor bathroom sink have hot water, but I heat water for dish washing and we don’t care about the bathroom sink’s lack of hot water. The shower, though, is tragic! When one is cold from being soaked in rain, a warm shower is most welcomed. The water isn’t cold, of course, but it isn’t hot, either.

I gave Conni a pair of earplugs to deaden the sound of the rooster’s crowing at all hours, but last night’s deluge effectively stopped his vocalizations. Beneath the bungalow, the ground is covered in small gravel for drainage. We’ve collected a few of the larger samples and set them on our little patio table, ready for hurling at the offending rooster when he strides through our yard. “Cock rocks”, we call them, and I have absolutely no compunctions about beaning him. None. He’s the local ringleader and seems to have a faulty internal clock since he crows at all hours during the night. Why anyone would own such a defective bird is beyond me.

The WinchRite, an electrically-powered winch handle, has done yeoman’s work for us this season. This is a new model and it the improvements are legion and useful. They even included a “world voltage” charger and plug adapters. Great product.

If it’s clear tomorrow, its’ up the mast for me to work on those radome bolts.