Mike wakes up early as usual. While he works outside on the PC, I get down to the more important things – drinking my morning tea!
As we managed to leave the key yesterday, there are lots of bodies inside the boat when we arrive today, ripping another of the roof panels off and drilling holes everywhere. There’s normally one outside drilling and one inside yelling when the drill bit has come through to the important point. It’s terrifying to watch so I leave.
Outside, lines arrive and are fitted through the boom. However will I learn all the different colours?
Left on the boat by ourselves for a while, young Dwane and I get chatting. I ask how old he is (18) and he asks me how old I am. Not realising that you shouldn’t ask a lady her age, I avoid the question by saying I am very much older than him. He asks if I am 30. I laugh and say no, much older, so he comes back with 35. Bless him. I don’t think he is trying to pay me a compliment, I just don’t think he can contemplate anyone actually being older than that. When I tell him I am 53 he looks incredulous. Obviously one should be dead when one is that age! Or maybe it’s going round in a bikini and vest, singing and dancing that confuses him.
I cook our okra curry again as it was pretty good last time. Eventually, I find a shady spot outside and sit with my little netbook catching up on the blog.
The view from the deck is not very pretty although Mike and I have got quite attached to it over the last few weeks, as we watch, patiently, for people to arrive and finish their jobs on Jeannius or as we scan the area looking to catch their bosses as they sidle past trying to avoid being harangued!
Today we have been waiting for Sean, who has been fitting our SSB radio. He apologises as he walks past the boat saying he is waiting for parts and has been put on another job. His boss, Herve, tells us that Sean has nearly finished on our boat anyway; Sean tells us that there is still lots to do. I despair of ever getting out of here, although Nicholas, with a Gallic shrug (masterly done even though he is Swiss French) insists we are still on track for being back in the water on Monday or Tuesday. Given that we have the boot stripes to paint once the hull is finished, I think this is highly unlikely.
By the end of the afternoon, one of the roof panels is back in place, and Jeannius looks a little more normal. The next one will be more difficult to put back as it contains a hatch whose brittle surround has broken a little on removal. There is a nasty looking permanent hole which will have to be covered somehow. Luckily we have a piece of veneer that might do the job.
Our lift back to the hotel arrives when we are sweeping up yet again. On the journey back, our driver stops by the road to get some steaming hot fish broth which is put in a bowl with aluminium foil over the top and handed it to Mike to hold for the duration of the journey. Luckily the driver slows down for the speed bumps so Mike doesn’t end up with scalded genitals!!!
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