Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
Now we've been on board for almost four weeks and are slowly settling in. The accent here is on slowly, as we have adapted to island time almost right away.
There is plenty of work to be done on the boat, but as usual I have no idea how to go about it or even just where to start. On top of that, prices, duty and taxes are exorbitant which means that we have decided to have all the work except for the really essential parts done elsewhere. The chandleries don't stock much at all which I find rather surprising with the number of boats on the island.
Early in the afternoon all the mooring balls are taken - forget about getting a slip in a marina - and there are no places to drop the anchor either. For us it doesn't matter as we have a long-term slip at the dock, but I'd hate to be on one of the charter boats. And at US$25 a pop the moorings aren't exactly for free either, especially when you consider that you have to pay for every single night.
Still, we are snug and we are enjoying ourselves. When we have finished tightening belts, tracing electrical wiring and repairing numerous small problems for the day, we go for dinghy rides or meet with a few likeminded people at around sunset and chat for a while.
Our propeller shaft has arrived by now and we are waiting for a place on "the railroad" as the locals call the slip in the boatyard. Our brand-new water-tanks have completely disappeared somewhere on the way down here, so that I don't dare to order anything else any more. I paid for them already, you see. All that ordering stuff will have to wait until Fajardo, Puerto Rico or even until Chaguaramas, Trinidad.
Plans are slightly unclear as to how we will proceed, as we have to have our saildrive fixed first. And although we got a visa-extension until Valentine's Day, we still have to wait for all the stuff we had shipped from Taiwan. Even airmail from Germany doesn't seem to get here in a reasonable time-period. At the same time we have to arrive in Trinidad before April Fool's Day or Liping's visa will expire.
Right now I am looking forward to another night with the silvery moon shining down on the calm waters, sliding down the palm-fronds to illuminate the water as only the moon can do it. And when I sit there contemplating the scene, I think that we are perhaps not 100% crazy to go for a boat and another sailing voyage yet again. Sometimes, it really does have its moments.
Aurora Ulani, Liping & Holger Jacobsen on SY DHARMA BUM III
