Day 191, Year 5: Work Day, Play Evening
Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Weather: Sun Mixed with Rain and Wind
Location: Ile Fouquet, Salomon Atoll, Chagos
Today was all work. We didn’t intend for it to be that way, but things happen. I sanded and varnished the cockpit one last time (maybe) while Mark took off the wooden Dorade vent covers and prepared them to be sanded and varnished. I cleaned the sides of the cabin top, polished all of the stainless frames that hold up the bimini, and polished the stainless frames around all the ports/windows on the boat. Somewhere in there, it decided to rain on my freshly varnished cockpit wood, but I am hopeful that it was dry enough to withstand the wet. When things dry tomorrow, I’ll look carefully and hope that I don’t have to varnish yet another time as paint supplies are running low. I have only two more pieces of 220 sandpaper and fewer foam brushes than I thought. I usually sand the Dorade vent covers by hand, but due to the shortage of sandpaper, Mark offered to sand them with his orbital sander. So I put him in the dinghy, handed down the Dorade boxes, let out the extension cord, and let him drift behind the boat to do the sanding. We didn’t want to chance getting sanding dust in the not yet cured varnish in the cockpit. When all of this was done, it was time to get ready to go to Constance for our Cinco de Mayo celebration with Ed and Lynne and Jeff and Kathy of Mirage.. Ed margaritas were great and the Mexican food was yummy and we enjoyed it all despite the heavy evening rain. Jeff and Kathy on Mirage are probably leaving for Malaysia tomorrow, so this evening was also a farewell to them. Constance and Mirage have known each other for the many years that they have been cruising in Southeast Asia, so this was a major parting for them.
Tomorrow I’ll do the first of many coats of varnish on the Dorade boxes, we’ll put the cockpit back together (if the varnish cures okay with all the dampness), and take some time for the snorkeling that got put off today. I’m not sure what is on Mark’s list of To Do’s, but I have a feeling fishing might be on that list somewhere. The cupboard is bare.
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| 100505 Day 191 Salomon, Chagos–Cinco de Mayo |
