Day 154, Year 4 More Forward, Backward Movement
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Weather: Finally . . . A Beautiful Day
Location: Boat Lagoon Marina, Phuket Island

The really bad news is that the painting of the mast and boom yesterday must be redone. So today everything was sanded and if the weather holds, painting will be done again tomorrow. The weather took a huge turn around today. It was a beautifully clear day. Those who have been here more than a couple of years tell us that they think it will be clear for a few more days. The weather reports here are all over the place, so we will just hope that we have a reprieve for at least one more day. So at the best, we can start putting things back on the mast on Saturday afternoon. It would be best to give the paint a little longer to cure, but we can start with those things that least affect the paint. But this is all dreaming. Another bad weather day could change everything, so we will wait patiently and see what happens.

I made some progress with my bronze work today, but still have lots more to do. My problem is that I don’t have the tools I need. I have two Dremels, one battery and one plug-in. The plug-in has seen its better days and the battery operated only runs for a short time before needing recharging. I have tried all sorts of other electric sanders and drills, but only the little Dremel really does the job. But even when it does work, I have a limited number of discs that do the job. Unfortunately, you cannot buy Dremel attachments in this part of the world. So I will struggle on tomorrow with this job.

But our problems are paled in comparison with those of a woman named Linda on the yacht named Mr Bean. She and her husband Malcom were moored in the Butang Group of islands in Thailand on the Malaysian border. A couple of nights ago, three teen-aged Burmese fishermen boarded their boat. I’ll spare you the details, but Malcom was evidently murdered. His body has not been found. Linda survived and is in the hospital. Dave and Di of Amoenitis, a couple we often have dinner with across the highway, were called yesterday by the British consulate and asked to come help Linda. Dave and Di rented a car and headed around the Phang Nga Bay to the other side to be with her. We have read on Google that her children from England are now on their way to be with her as well. But what a scary episode. We didn’t know Linda and Malcom, but the cruising community is truly like a family. Even when you don’t know the people, you feel a close attachment. So our thoughts are with Linda and her family as they deal with this truly horrible situation.