4. A Much Needed Rest
The Marina at Torrevieja
It's a strange thing going from a frantically busy schedule to suddenly having time on your hands. We were essentially idyll for the next couple of days, with the exception of the occasional visits from the various workers who would implement the additions to the yacht. The yacht got a lot of attention both inside and out. Mark put us to shame cleaning and buffing all the port holes and windows, and there were a lot of them. Dave guided the workers towards any flaws we had observed in our new yacht, as the yacht was under warrantee. Little did they know just how rough the conditions we had tested it out in were. He also talked them through any other improvements we wanted to make prior to departing Spain. I potted about with the occasional shopping; looking for linen etc. and of course trying out a variety of wines (so good and so cheap in Spain) and restaurants. Still, there was plenty to do; we settled on a design for the name of our yacht, to be written in dark gold my favourite colour, on the back of the yacht, and found out just how many fonts there are. We needed a canvas cover for the dingy, to scout out both a VHF and first aid course for myself, since I was ill when the original courses were scheduled and of course there was a bit of study to complete.
The most important activity was set for Wednesday the 9th January, a very important date, Mark’s 79th birthday. That morning, Mark, the birthday boy, yet again put us to shame. He was freshly washed and dressed before Dave and I emerged from our cosy berth and tentatively made out way to the chilly Saloon. We hadn't been able to find a birthday card, so being resourceful, we made one. Mark being Mark made our very small gesture seem enormous and even though we still had a number of tasks to complete that day, we made a point to get out and enjoy ourselves.
That night, we had a very memorable dinner pre-empted by an unintended tour of the city, the restaurant we had chosen was close unfortunately, but we did manage to find a lovely family-owned Spanish restaurant, where the service was attentive and friendly.
Thursday, the workers installed the generator, this involved a crane, a lot of Spanish men, a lot of debate in Spanish, a lot of muscle and a lot of careful footwork. It was, to say the least, exciting. The fact, that I couldn't bear to watch them install it, but rather looked away, crossed my fingers and prayed the yacht would still be intact at the end of it, well that was probably just the response of an inexperienced sailor. In the end, the generator was safely positioned and installed on the yacht, along with the water maker and several fans. Currently they are working on installing the air conditioner. I know, it’s not like we need air con at the moment, given its freezing here in Spain, but I’m sure we will appreciate it once we reach the sunny shores of the Caribbean. After the air con, the plan is to build a fiberglass cabinet for the washing machine/dryer, install solar panels …
While the yacht was crawling with workers, we moved house. Luckily, some friends or ours had a holiday house close by where we could stay. The spacious rooms were a nice change from the pokey berth Dave and I had been sharing. More importantly, it had a washing machine so we wouldn’t have to keep going to the laundry mat and a large backyard with a pool. And while the chilly weather prevented us from swimming, the pool at least provided us pleasant setting to look out on.
By this time, both Dave and I were looking a little scruffy, so we all decided to visit the local hairdresser. I was really impressed with the quality of service they provided as well as how inexpensive it was. Dave had his first crew-cut, in his life, I think the plan is that he can now trim it as and when needed while we sail, we’ll see how that goes. I was also impressive with Dave’s ironing skills, I never get tired of watching him iron, mostly because it is likely a once in a life time occurrence. I managed to pass my radio and first-aid though it was more a social event than a hard fast test. And yes, we are planning to visit the local restaurant where I will finally get to wear a dress. This weekend we will finally be able to take Mark out on the yacht for a sail. So, it is all go, go, go.... XXX
Dave ironing!
Apparently a glass of wine helps with the creases.