Hi
from Clare, Saturday 26th
November 2016
So
we were due to haulout at 8am and at 7.30am the heavens opened and
down came the rain; not a good start. Fortunately that was pretty
well the end of it and we have enjoyed sunny weather whilst packing
up the boat. The haulout went well and the bottom of the boat is in
very good condition considering Eye Candy has been in the water for
twenty two months. Andrew's constant cleaning has paid off.
 |
| Half an hour before haulout |
 |
| In the slings |
 |
| Cleaning the bottom |
GIN
AND TONIC
We
have been busy storing sails, the outboard, safety equipment and all
halyards below and the dinghy on the deck. We have scrubbed the
canvas bimini, dodger, link sheets, cockpit shades and the dinghy.
Andrew has pickled the water maker and flushed the outboard and main
engine. I have wiped the interior of the boat with vinegar, washed
curtains, bedding and sorted the lockers. Some people think that the
cruising life is all about Gin and Tonic and so here are some of our
G&T photos for this haulout.
 |
| Sorting the food |
 |
| Canvas packed away |
 |
| Linen press in plastic |
The
Raiatea Carenage, where we are leaving Eye Candy for the cyclone
season, is well protected by mountains. The boat yard is fairly
small and certainly doesn't have many facilities. The bathroom which
is shared by the staff and the cruisers has one toilet, one shower,
no washing machines but two wash basins. Now it pays to have a sense
of humour. The bathroom come laundry is very basic and I had a few
loads of hard washing, sheets, towels, bedding and clothes. One
basin appears to be plumbed, but the larger basin just has a hole in
the wall for the wash water to spill outside. So rather than make a
big mess outside I lugged my 20 litre bucket to the plumbed basin and
emptied the soapy water down the pipe and all over the bathroom
floor. Big mistake the pipe wasn't connected; silly me. From then
on all wash water went out the hole in the wall.
 |
| The ablutions block |
LOOKING
AFTER OUR BABY
We
have employed a Yacht Maintenance Service to look after Eye Candy in
our absence. They will check the batteries, power output from the
solar panels, check for any water leaks during the wet season and
clean away any mould. The boat will be opening up for airing and we
have a dehumidifier installed; what more can we do?
THE
BIRDS AND THE BEES
The
Yacht Maintenance Service told us that the birds and bees are just
waiting for us to leave so they can move in. We have watched the
Minor birds pooping on all the boats and trying to make their nest in
the end of the booms. This possie along with any other sizeable hole
has to be plugged up. All small holes have to be covered or the bees
will move in. So Andrew has been busy plugging. Eye Candy is
sitting on a steel cradle and Andrew has tied her down onto the
cradle. All the ropes leading back to the deck of the boat have
plastic bottles attached to stop the rats coming on board. We also
dropped the chain out of the locker and flaked it onto a suspended
rod so it is not sitting inside a wet locker for months.
 |
| Holes plugged |
 |
| Chain stored and boat tied down |
TIME
OUT
We
did manage to have a night out with our Austrian friends Martina and
Florian on Esperanza and their friends. There is a Snack Shop a
short distance from the boat yard
which
sells delicious food for very reasonable prices. Just what you need
when working hard. It was terrific to have a night off from cooking
and sharing a few laughs with friends.
 |
| A well earned break |
SO
WHAT NEXT
Tomorrow
we take our aching bodies and put them on the plane. We spend one
night in air conditioned comfort at the Tahiti Airport Hotel which
will be very nice after dripping perspiration for days. The hotel
has Wifi and so we will post this our final Blog for 2016.
Merry
Christmas to all, have fun and stay safe.
Love
Candy xx
