Thursday 7 November 2019
“Gloryorski!”, as Orphan Annie was wont to say.

“Oh jabulous fay!”, as the Mad Hatter would say.

Or merely, “Whoopie!”, as I would say.

We got the anchor light fixed and all it took was two trips up the mizzen and one near disaster when the halyard that was attached to the bos’n’s chair and supporting me 35’ in the air came off the winch and I began to answer to gravity. Fortunately between us Barb and I managed to halt the decent after only a couple of feet. That’s me in the photo dangling precariously from the top of the mizzen.

What was the problem with the light? It turned out that the power was getting to the mast and 99% up to the top. Somehow the hot wire had come disconnected. Fortunately the ground wire had not and equally fortunately I had tied a knot in the wire so they were both together, and even more fortunately the hole in the top of the mast was large enough that I could work the wires through to get the knot and the loose wire. A quick baring of wires and the addition of a new butt connector and we were back in business.

Huzzah!

The new anchor light that I had bought will be added to our anchor light system and will be placed on Nelleke’s stern rail so passing motor boaters who don’t look up will have an anchor light basically right at their eye level.

By eight o’clock and we already had one major job accomplished. Then we had a casual self-satisfied stroll into town to alert Nautical Wheelers that our package should be arriving today and to have a coffee at the Oriental Deli.

We walked into town just in time to see Estelle off on Courlevent. She will be heading to Morehead City to spend tomorrow hunkered down like we will be here then she has decided to head on down the ICW. I asked her to send us an iMessage letting us know of any shallow conditions en route. So, if she remembers and is able we will have some intel. We will also be asking the TowBoatUS operators for their input.

While we were in town we paid another visit to the Provisioning store where Barb scored a piece of Sunbrella frantic at what she tells me is a great price ($12 for 0.5m) and I happened to find a LED replacement bulb for the anchor light. When I feel ambitious and I can convince Barb to do the physical stuff I will make another trip up the mast.

Second bigger job for the day - we changed the oil and filter on Yoki. Much deserved by the little lady judging by the colour of it.

One thing about this part of the world, I believe that you will easily get a sore arm from waving at all the people who drive, walk, or cycle by. Everyone says “Hi. How are you?” and gives you a friendly wave. I guess that’s southern politeness. Very pleasant and quite different from up in New England area. Not that New Englanders are rude or anything, they are just not as openly friendly.

Barb and I wandered about until we found a hairdressers who had time to cut our hair. Yes. That’s right. I said hairdresser to cut my hair. There are no barber shops here in Oriental. The last one shut down last year and I guess there isn’t enough money in the trade to make it worth while for anyone else to open one up. That leaves all of the hair cutting, male and female to the hair salons. The lady did an excellent job for all of $15! My first haircut that I didn’t do myself in 5 years.

The long term weather forecast is for very unpleasant weather including wind and rain for Friday with the rain stopping Friday afternoon but the wind continuing on into Saturday until the afternoon. If that is the case we might be here until Sunday.

Right now as I thumb this it is supper time and I am seriously pissed off! We were waiting all day for the repaired SSB to arrive and I paid $271.10 to have it delivered overnight. Well. It’s overnight and it ain’t here! Typical Canada Post. Too happy to take your money and promise you whatever you want to here and then fail to deliver. Even the folks at the place that has agreed to accept delivery for us said that she was surprised that they would guarantee overnight delivery since, as she put it, we are so remote here. I will give them until tomorrow before I start to make some phone calls although I’m not sure what that would do.