Friday 24 Apr, KY day 41: DHL finally delivers.
6 weeks now since we departed Jamaica to sail here. It seems ages ago. Almost feels like we have roots here in Cayman now. It’s time to think about cutting them. We receive a clarification email on pricing from the yard here. Their advertised haul price is only one way, so needs to be doubled to relaunch; their pressure wash is a staggering $500; they don’t allow you to work on your own boat … and if you do, it’s $160 a day for the privilege! This yard had looked similar in price to Herrington Harbour North, but now they are nearly 60% more expensive. So a trip back to USA is looking more likely than ever.
After breakfast I set about resealing the pedestal panel. I make a thin rubber gasket and once screwed down I fill the joint with a thin bead of Sikaflex, which will be easy to cut and remove if/when we next need to go in there. All in all, despite discovering the failure was not actually in there, I’m pleased I went in, cleaned up connections and learned exactly what is under there. Knowledge like this is worth a lot in times of trouble. Once back together, without that ugly grey mastic oozing out all around the edges, it looks far neater – almost like new again.
After that, not much else constructive was done. Today was a new YouTube video release day, which is always exciting watching the views mount and answer any questions. And that leads to time on the PC organizing emails, updating the maintenance excel sheet and asking Hallberg Rassy Parts about pedestal switch spare parts. I also enquire to my electronics support in UK (same person who made our remote control system) how I might add a dimmer control to the LEDs which light up the pedestal buttons at night. Currently they are far too bright, so I have disconnected them.
We get another call from DHL this morning announcing the cost of the duty to be paid. So I launch the dinghy ready for the next call, to go pick up Oana’s package. Cloudy is bouncing quite strongly in the swell, making it a bit risky to launch. In such conditions, just as the dinghy is nearly in the water, Cloudy’s pitching on the waves puts huge forces on the davits as they rapidly alternate from no weight to retaking the full weight of dinghy & outboard, then cycles again, until the dinghy is fully in the water. It’s quite violent. By 4pm we still haven’t received the “come pick it up” call from DHL, so we assume it will now be a Monday delivery. I’m a bit annoyed, and lift the dinghy back up again with the same violence to the davits. And of course, 20 minutes later DHL do call, so the dinghy goes back in yet again! When I finally get back to Cloudy, Oana is over the moon to finally receive her awaited cosmetics, which makes it all very worth while.
In the evening we run the generator for the first time in a week. That’s how good the new solar power is. And even then we don’t need the generator to recharge batteries, we just need it to heat water and run the watermaker. Brilliant – just 4 liters (1 gal) of diesel used in a whole week. And Oana has a nice hot shower and uses her new products. Everyone is very content on Cloudy Bay this evening 🙂