We went over our most recent list of what needed fixing so we could go sailing 7/29/16. We figured if we could just get the water maker working, the anchor and chain installed, fridge working, lifelines replaced and safety gear aboard, then we could go out for the last month with a travel letter from the factory. Alan graciously opened a line of credit at the chandler, and Todd was off getting rigging stuff and started on redoing the lifelines with Spectra (Dynema). We spent some time perusing the cruising guide for Corsica and sent an email to our cruising friend Marie who was visiting family on Corsica and whom we hoped to visit. Things were looking up and we finished up the night having dinner on the Lagoon with Laure and the kids as Stephane had returned to work for a week.
The next day was a Friday and the workers were aboard early. We had a good showing with electricians, a fiberglass/window polishing crew, as well as a production guy Bruno, who finished some gel coat. Bruno spoke English, Spanish, as well as French, so we had a few good chats between projects. He was a super nice guy and the next day brought us a bottle of his favorite wine from the region to enjoy. Meanwhile another worker was polishing the salon windows and inadvertently got a fleck of the black trim paint on the disk causing a burn on one of the few newly replaced windows (we had wondered why they would paint first and then polish but hey, wadda we know?). The port grab rail on the hard top was repaired that afternoon before the thunderstorm rolled in. The rain showers put a stop to work and it was only a half day anyway, being a Friday. The rain continued until early the following day and we took advantage of the cooler temps and slept late.
Ed had informed us that the replacement dinghy would be arriving the next morning in the back of a van en route from England.
Sure enough it arrived right on schedule and in one piece even. It was surprisingly flawless, meeting the van, lifting the dinghy out, lifting the engine out, inflating the dinghy, and later once we had fuel, starting the dinghy…things seemed to go so much more smoothly if the Catana factory wasn’t involved, huh! Dinner with our Swiss mates and discussions of dinghy’s, engine combinations etc.
Monday the activity continued; the old cockpit shower (not working) was removed, new genoa cars were delivered (not installed), the engine battery mounting box was installed..on top of the old box. Todd was almost done with installing the lifeline, and as it was very hot we had a 2 swim day. Alan stopped by to educate us on the electric/charging system which was helpful, but still didn’t adequately explain the discrepancy between battery voltage and voltage showing on the Victron monitor. On the 26th a carpenter dropped off a wood entry grate and made beautiful covers for the aft line lockers so now we could sit on them and lean against the rail. Todd finished the lifelines except for a few eye splices that he would do down the way, and I replaced the split rings at the stanchion bases. The cockpit shower box was fiber glassed in and gel coated, and the new fittings were delivered.
The very best thing that happened was that exterior window shades arrived and were fitted to the boat, whew, such a relief as I had been moving towels from the port to starboard salon windows every day in an attempt to keep the interior temperature bearable. I was also using a wooden spoon and spatula to hold the forward salon hatches open as the friction hinges on the old hatches didn’t work. It made the boat look really tacky and I’m pretty sure it was a big reason the exterior shades showed up but we were very thankful!!
Alan arrived to check progress the next day, hobbling around with a newly broken toe which looked to be painful. Luric, a young contract carpenter and his apprentice Florian, arrived and put in custom mosquito screens for all but the 4 big moon ports. We had paid for the addition of Ocean Aire shades with screens for these, but so far no progress so they remained closed to keep the mosquito’s out.