After a really crap night’s sleep, for no real reason, the day eventually dawns bright and sunny, and with the sunshine arrives Rod, the man who is fitting our new generator in for us.
Problem number one – we have a slight size issue – the generator is just too big to fit through the hole into the engine room. Rod disappears and comes back with a fibreglass man. They discuss the whys and wherefores of cutting a bit out of my boat (!) and how they can stick it back afterwards and decide that they can do the cutting underneath the hatch so that the “damage” won’t be visible afterwards and they assure me there will be no danger of water getting in.
We have to move the boat to the maintenance dock so that they can get the new generator down to the boat. These things weigh a ton! While I have time, I wash down the outside of the boat to get all the salt off – again! The water pressure is good here and it cleans up pretty well and I am able to fill the water tank quickly too. Unfortunately, the water pressure is so good that the hose springs out of the tank and totally soaks me. Then Rod sets about cleaning out all the remaining bits of the old generator and assembling them on the dock. Mike is going to try to sell it on Ebay.
I put a load of washing together and head for the laundrette. At least the one here is clean and the machines aren’t rusty like the ones I was used to in the BVIs. It’s also air conditioned. Once the washing is loaded, I take myself off to the bathrooms for a long hot shower. Stripped off and water running, I discover that I have left my shampoo and body wash on the boat. I can’t be bothered to get dressed and walk all the way back there so I decide to use the washing liquid instead. I know it will be bad for my hair and skin but it’s only once so I go for it, hoping that the brilliant blue liquid won’t turn my hair the same colour!
Coming out of the shower, I look in the mirror. Phew! I look as normal as I ever do. Back in the laundrette, I see Jutta, looking a little delicate after her party last night, which went on until 3.30 am. I offer to take over her laundry as I am there anyway.
When I get back to the boat, all is quiet. We are now waiting for the fork lift truck to bring the generator. Problem number two. There is something wrong with the fork lift truck and it can’t come down the steep ramp, so we will have to get Jeannius into the cradle area where boats are lifted and have the travel lift lower the generator down. Mmmm. This should be interesting! We wait. And wait. Problem number three. The travel lift is now occupied by a small craft which is having its hull inspected for a possible sale. Bloody hell, what next?
I give up waiting and go back to the boat. Suddenly after over an hour, the travel lift bleeps into action and it’s time for us to move from the dock and into position underneath it.
This is easier said than done. The gentle breeze that helpfully blew us gently against the dock earlier in the day, is now a strong gusting wind which is determined to hold us there as we try to pull away. We release the lines and Mike attempts to pull the stern away first as this is where the engines are and we will get more thrust but the guy releasing our bow lines pushes us away from the dock and from then on it all gets screwed up. We start going backwards towards the pilings , scraping along the dock as we go. I remove a central fender and race to the front of the boat just in time to stop the bow crashing back against the dock as another gust twists us around. Eventually though it all gets under control and after a couple of non-fatal bumps, we get out, circle round and Mike starts to reverse Jeannius into position.
As we get between the pilings, lines are attached to each corner of the boat from four different pilings, and after a bit of jiggery pokery as they are in turn loosened and tightened, we are strung out in the middle of the pilings and in position, again, not helped in any way by the gusts of wind.
The travel lift then moves over the top of us and begins to lower the generator.
Once down, the lifting mechanism is released from the travel lift and attached to the boom instead, which is now moved over to the port side of the boat. The generator is then slowly lifted so that the block of wood it has been placed on can be moved and the engine room hatch opened. The travel lift and its operator go home.
The generator is then lowered into position in the engine room which takes a bit of doing as it has to be slid (slid? this thing weighs a ton remember) over the autohelm at an angle, which means Mike has to dismantle the bed in the stern cabin so that Paul can get in and pull the generator in from below.
It’s going home time now for the lads, and as soon as the guy arrives to pick them up in the dinghy, they are off, promising to be back on Monday to hook it all up. All we have to do then is release the four lines as quickly as we can and shoot out from between the pilings before we can be blown against them again. Then it’s back to our normal berth.
A couple of other yachties help us tie up and we start talking to them. It turns out that one used to live in Muswell Hill and the other in Colney Hatch Lane, just around the corner from where I lived for ten years. What a small world.
I decide to catch up on some computer work and Mike goes off for a drink to the sports bar at the marina. When he comes back, I go up just to say goodbye to Bev and Moe who are leaving tomorrow. I hardly recognise Jochem who has had a trip to the same hairdresser as I did and is now scalped as short as me. Two drinks and over an hour later (I did have good intentions - honestly) I go back to the boat to cook Mike and I some dinner. With the generator now on the boat, he is happy to book our flights and accommodation in Sydney. We will go on Tuesday and return Friday, just in time to leave Mackay with Crazy Horse and Ocean Jasper.
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