We arrived back on board Splice around 8.30pm on the 12th August after another on-time Easyjet flight and a good transfer by ShuttleDirect/Green Bus. This is a shared mini-bus service, you book your flight time and end destination and they group people for an efficient route. You could have to wait for the next flight or be the last to be dropped but on this occasion we were the last arrivals of the group and the first to be dropped. Bingo – just like a personal taxi service. Even if we had needed to wait, for about E8.00 each that would have been a good deal as they drop you right at your ‘door’- or in our case Fish Dock!
Splice had been waiting on the hard for the last month and it showed. She was covered in brown sticky sand and in a right mess. We have spent the last few days getting her ready for the sea again. A few trips to the supermarket as it’s not too far with the trolley and another good meal at Girasol, (the local restaurant) meat this time, beef and pork, both really tasty and only E17.50.
Much of Chris’s time has been spent on the underwater metal – props, keel coolers, rudder brackets etc. All have to be sanded free of the remains of the barnacles and assorted sea life that had colonised them. Then one of the sailors big decisions, what anti foul to put on them. Get if right and they stay clear for a few months, wrong and you’re diving every week to scrub off as a furred up prop slows you down a lot. This time we had chosen a US product called Velox, web forums rated it so couldn’t do a lot worse than the last time. One coat of primer and three of the actual paint later and she’s ready to go. Doesn’t look a lot for three days work but there are two of them and four other bits to do! One problem emerged as we were finalising the work. The metal band around the prop shaft is a three part sacrificial anode, each part held on by a screw. One trio on each prop shaft. The first 5 went on OK but the last screw snapped as it was tightened leaving us short on one anode element. It’s been soaked in penetrating oil and we’ll try to get it out later- there’s always something!
The day after we arrived another Cat was lifted onto the hard next to us and we met Noel and Ceu on ‘Life Part2’. Based in Vancouver, Canada they have been cruising for a number of years already and we had a good time swapping stories and discussing boat bits. They will be here for a month whilst copper -coating their hull and visiting relatives. We went for drinks on their boat one night (well, their fridge works on land and the beer was cold) and they came to Splice the next bringing our beers they had chilled for us. That night we all went into town as there was a sardine festival and we fancied a few. It was very crowded so in the end we ate at the Casa Bica we have patronised before though this time, with the crowds and rush, the food was only moderate. As is often the case when cruising these new friends were only around for two days before going to see relatives and we will be gone before they return. Hopefully we will meet again along the way – in the Caribbean if we get there one day as that’s where they are headed.
We have to do without a fridge when on land as ours are cooled by the (infamous) keel coolers and when there’s no water they don’t work. They are the most efficient ‘in water’ fridges but lack of cold beer is a serious problem when working on the hard.
Sunday has been spent power washing the grime off and scrubbing everything down. Splice looks lot better now but there’s still another wash down needed this evening when the sun has cooled sufficiently.
We have just had the trampolines re done in Vigo this winter, the surrounding material must have been cheap as it’s gone soft in the heat and the brown grit has stuck into it. Carolyn spent a couple of hours getting that clean, eventually with bicarbonate of soda and elbow grease!

Now the sun has gone round a bit I can go and wash the other side of the boat without melting. We splash tomorrow at 9.00am and we need to be ready. Still lots to do, washing decks again, taking down the bimini-surround, engine oil checks etc etc. It’s always good to get back in the water, off the hard and the work that’s always there to be crammed into the time on land. Once back in the water we will at least be able to use the fridges. Ah, so looking forward to that cold beer!

The photo shows one of the finished propellers.