We are making great progress with the boat preparations, today was (almost) the final phase of internal cleaning. We will spare the details of all that we have done, but in essence we have mad the boat habitable. Wherever we have been, leaving the boat in a marine atmosphere for the winter takes its toll and we have to check that everything is on order. Fortunately this yard provides a rather nice movable staircase to allow us to get onto the boat, in other places we have had to make do with rather precarious ladders lashed to the boat. We had started from opposite ends of the boat, and met each other in the middle.
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| A considerable improvement over the last couple of days |
I am reminded that the tool box comes into action every day when you are on a boat. While away from Equinox I had forgotten just how many things there are that need mending or adjusting regularly. We have eliminated more of the trying little faults, but the effort to keep everything in tiptop condition is constant.
While we were working, we heard a strange knocking noise coming from the hull, so I raced outside to see what it was. A guy was going round the boatyard, making sure that all of the wedges used to hold the boats on their stands were secure and the noise had been him hammering on our support wedges. It is reassuring that they do this sort of thing, later in the day, when the wind had got up, I was aware of the boat moving slightly on its stand.
At mid morning we headed off for our usual coffee break, but it being Sunday, the cafes we have used previously were closed. We walked around in search of somewhere, and while passing a shop/restaurant saw a guy working. We asked if they were open, and he said no, he was only there clearing up after a hectic Saturday night. However, he then immediately said that if we just wanted coffee he would make it for us. We chatted while we drank our coffee and it transpired that he was from The Gambia, and had left seeking a better life. He spoke good English, which he explained he had learned at a school in his village which had been established by some people from Jersey. He said that the journey that he had made had been long and hard and he had now pretty well lost contact with everyone at home. He has now been in Italy for seven years and was enjoying life here.
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Steve (and Tricia)
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