Drying the Oars for Christmas

Drying the Oars for Christmas Sanding and painting, and electrical problems on the eve of Christmas Eve From the captain’s letter El Hierro. When I hauled the yacht out for sanding and painting, I breathed a sigh of relief that we don’t have a catamaran. I’m drying the boat out ashore. I spent half the day today polishing the keel, then washing off the dust. In the next few days I’ll start filling the chips in the gelcoat with epoxy primer, fairing and priming. Then I’ll apply the antifouling paint. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll launch on 6–7 January. During the day I filled a basket with fruit and groceries at the shop, and just then the power went out across La Restinga. So they couldn’t sell me anything. It’s already dark, there’s still no electricity, and with it the whole area’s internet is down too. Candles are burning in the windows. Good thing I still have data left on my SIM card. But I’ve only got one bar—it feels as though the nearest mast has gone down too. Meanwhile, our boat remains as independent of the grid as ever. The wind is blowing, the sun is shining—the batteries are charged. I’m warm, with light and all the comforts of home. Just a bit dusty 🙂 A big Christmas party for all the yachties is planned for the 24th. The French have ordered a ram. They’re going to roast it on a spit. For the purpose, they’ve sawn an iron drum in half—it’ll make a barbecue. I’ll bring some sort of salad. If the power comes back on ). 25 January The ram turned out brilliantly. Someone fell asleep on the beach... — details of the Christmas celebrations with the international community of liveaboard yachties—in the next letter. Merry Christmas!