Some good news at last. Having provided the Westerbeke agent with the information about the clearing agent he contacts them immediately and at 8.30 am we get an e-mail saying that our parts are in the process of being cleared. Mike talks to the engineer who is supposed to be fitting it and he has been told this as well and is expecting to fit the parts tomorrow. This means that we should be able to leave Richards Bay on Friday which is the next opening in the weather window.
Feeling a bit happier with this news, Mike goes out to the mall again to buy some more credit for his phone and visit an ATM (for some curious reason, diesel for the boat has to be paid for in cash). While he is gone I do some long overdue housework ie sweeping the floors and washing them down. When Mike returns he comes armed with a new computer as his old one is on it’s last legs, a couple of small bottle of my wonderful truffle infused oil and another brick-heavy fruit cake. I am also presented with my carnival leggings from Eline which are truly scary!!
We all jump into a waiting taxi with Jochem and Oisin and join Jutta and Eline who are already at Jack’s Place, a restaurant overlooking the bay and reputed to be fantastic for seafood. They certainly do huge portions. Mike orders eisbein, a German dish which is a cut of pork equivalent to a lamb shank but which is boiled and then deep fried. Delicious. I order a kilo (yes, a kilo) of garlic prawns. OK, the kilo includes head, shell and long hairy bits, but even so. The are absolutely delicious and I am horrified that I manage to scoff the lot. And what tremendous value at around £8.
While we are eating, Joe and Judy arrive to meet us. I haven’t seen Judy since Mackay as we were late arriving in Bali and she had already left.
Lunch goes on for hours and it is very late in the afternoon when we stagger back to the marina. We all head over to Chessie for one last little drink (yeah right Jutta) although Mike leaves early to set up his new PC and make sure it all works OK before we (hopefully) leave and to check the status of our generator parts. Disappointingly and frustratingly there is no further news and we have no idea whether they have cleared customs and will arrive tomorrow.
How long can this fiasco continue?
Really hope you get the well deserved luck with your generator. I know about bad luck but this is getting beyond even Murphy.
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