Sunday 10th February 2103
Well so much or New Years resolution, I told myself I would get back to writing daily, yeah right.
So here we are still in this cold place, and man has it been cold, we have never experienced cold like it.
It has snowed so much that the whole area is just white, even though its cold i do love the snow.
I was actually standing in the galley the other day just watching the snow fall through the closed hatch to the floor, yeah you heard right the hatch was closed, we sure need to fix that soon.
Then there is the ice which is just as bad if not worst than the snow.
The river freezing solid, which I have never experienced in my life.
and oh so much fun, well I had fun with it, I had an arsenal of weapons that I would throw to see if it would break, from pegs, screws, rocks nothing would break through it, until we got out the big guns, we had pieces of solid stainless steal that had been cut off some part from the boat, not sure where, I finally convinced the captain that is was just junk, he finally caved in and gave it to me, and boy did they worked great, they broke straight through , hahaha I was like a little kid.
I then decided to get the boat hook out to see if I could break though it, that was all fun and games until I dropped it overboard.
Now am not sure you remember but this is the second boat hook we have brought, and they are not cheap, the captain lost the first one overboard before we had even used it, come to think of it we have not used this one yet either, can see a pattern happening here.
So the captain is inside and has no idea I just lost the hook overboard, I'm standing there using a lot of pirate language, thinking he is gonna kill me, and I'm just gonna have to jump in and get the damn thing, it was floating in the little area that I had broken a hole through the ice, bobbing around oh so happy just out of my reach.
So I get the gaff and after a cat and mouse chase, lots more pirate language and what seemed like hours, not to mention I was starting to freeze myself, I finally landed that sucker and got it back on the board.
Man it was hard work but there was no way I was gonna face the captain with the bad news that he would have to buy another hook.
Oh and the ice on water does crack just like in the movies, you know when you see someone trying oh so carefully to walk on ice and it all starts to crack right under them yeap? Well that's exactly how it goes i had so much fun watching it, that's what i was doing when i lost he boat hook, if you wanted to know. :-)
Sometimes I get bored...:-/
We have actually had more ice than snow, as it actually gets to cold to snow, that really shocked me, but yeah it does, some days we have had more ice inside than out, it's crazy how it just freezes solid on the inside windows and hatches, I'm gob smacked ever time I see it, and it has been inches think.
We have two heaters going constantly and it's still cold I just can't wait to leave.
But we keep working away and are now making great progress.
Tom is now back his aunt died which is sad but also a blessing as she was really sick.
I have been doing a lot of outside work as well, I know crazy but we rug up really well and when your working away its not so bad, as long as you go inside a lot to thaw out.
I have been stripping the old varnish off the rails around the cock pit, with a heat gun and scrapers, the heat gun is so good when it's cold, and then sanding them all, washing them with a special cleaner than using a brightner, and am now ready to oil them the captain thinks I'm crazy as its way to cold, but I want to get it finished, as we are in or more rain tomorrow and then I have to wait another day or too for everything to dry out again
Tuesday 12th March 2013
Well we are still here, yeah I know we were leaving on the 1st, but stuff just happens and things take longer to get done.
But the countdown is on under 10 days now, and boy are we busy, we are going none stop to get the last few things done.
When I started stripping the teak around the cock pit, I thought that would be enough for awhile, I should know me better.
I have decided that the whole boat needs to be done and have taken on the challenge to get it all done before we leave.
Will it happen? Probably not.
So here I am working my butt off stripping varnish, sanding washing twice and oiling, in all kinds of weather the only time I'm not out there is if its raining, I have even melted ice off the timber with a heat gun first so I can keep on working.
And most times in below freezing temps, I wear thermals two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves scarves jackets you name it, and I still freeze.
Sometimes I can only stay out for about 10 minutes at a time and have to come down and thaw out.
My hands get so frozen that I can hardly even hold a paint brush, but the end result is so good, we are using a special oil/sealer that is suppose to last about four years, I hope it works cause it's going to take me that long to recover.
She maybe a very old boat but she is starting to look very cared for, even though she still fights us every step of the way, I think she is getting used to us, and starting to realise we are here on her for the long hall.
So we are on the last leg of our stay here, sorting at the last bits and pieces of repairs, and the Captain has just hurt his shoulder, man can things ever go right, he is still doing as much as he can one handed but each day it is improving, so not long now and we will head out with Tom for the first leg down to the Caribbean, than onto Panama which Robin Vic's son will have joined us, and then we do the big crossing of the Pacific Ocean by ourselves and finally come back to Australia, it's been way to long away from family and friends am one very homesick lady.
Well tomorrow is another day.