This is not a serious storm, just a band of rain that should pass through by tomorrow, but I am settled in for the duration, well prepared with a spinach and feta quiche, a Mediterranean salad, a good book on the Kindle, AN OFFICER AND A SPY by Robert Harris, a retelling in novel form of the Dreyfus Affair, and, thanks to David MacFarlane, a replenished supply of Laphroaig.
I took the above with the GoPro facing north during a lull in the rain a little while ago. GANNET’s shrouds do not arc. That is a function of the GoPro’s extreme wide angle lens.
Please notice how nice the deck looks.
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Surprisingly I’ve been in Opua four weeks today.
In that time I have gotten GANNET pretty much back in shape. Rewired the solar panels. Rebedded the forward hatch. New floorboards. Reattached the port pipe berth. New blocks for the running backstays. Lubed the winches. New floatation cushions. New cabin lights. Bought a back-up solar regulator. Painted deck and cockpit. Rearranged cabin stowage. USB outlet. Bought a great bucket.
Before flying away in a little over two weeks I still need to apply Deks Olje to tiller and interior wood, including the new floorboards, clean and test the two old dinghies on shore, dry a few items, and attack some mold. New Zealand has an excellent product, Exit Mold, and needs it.
Still on my list, some to be taken care of here when I return, mostly items to be bought in the U.S.:
four replacement tiller pilots and a pedestal support
two replacement LuminAID lights
USB plugs—not as significant since I wired the USB outlet
leather patches for Sportaseat
replace boom vang line
replace lifelines—I use ¼” Amstel line which is strong enough to lift four times GANNET’s weight
replacement pillow cases
epoxy sticks
replacement headlamp(s)
three replacement solar panels—two have failed and I think a third may
replacement hand cranked flashlight
long sleeved shirts
Levis
replacement LED flashlight
contact cement
two replacement Dartington Chrystal Exmoor glasses
winch pawl oil
replacement electric razor
floss threaders
send Yellowbrick for repair
send Yellowbrick for repair
replacement toothpick holder
replacement day water bottle
Apple lightning cables
replacement plastic measuring cups from Target—not used for measuring
three Blue Performance sheet bags—two to replace smaller bags in the cockpit; the other a bag that has torn
replacement battery operated electric fan
tighten tiller to rudder head bolt and be certain I have spares
have masthead Windex replaced
Lapsang Souchong tea
haul-out and anti-foul
As is obvious most of the items on the list are to replace those that failed, fell overboard or were otherwise destroyed in the past 6,400 miles.
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After reading the previous post one of the myriad Davids who peruse this journal amused me with the following. I thank him for permission to share it with you.
Webb Chiles profiles
As he whiles away
Miles, across oceans,
Like ancient sundials
On tropic isles
For wandering exiles,
And … Smiles.