Prepping!

Started early with Rowan getting the propane gas tanks to the Gas Station (Petrol Station to us), they had to be out on the wall by 10am and Mr GasMan passes by anytime before 3pm to fill them up. He stocked up with petrol for Jeldi Jeldi too. We then had to take Pole Pole to the Fuel dock at 1pm to catch the high tide as it is not possible at low tide. Rowan fuelled up, while Phoebs and I went on a shopping mission. Mainly to get milk as this looks like our last main shop for a while. We also needed a loo plunger and jump leads…..quite a shopping list for a little place like this. The loo plunger was NOT as you may be thinking for the loo but for our lockers under the floor boards. Yesterday we managed to lose both boat plungers, Rowan thought he had dropped it in on the last locker he had opened, so we finally opened it up with a sharp knife and many screwdrivers without doing too much damage. We finally found the second one, but thought we should have a monster loo one as back up! We finally found our crocodile clips (jump leads) at Fox Auto. Our wonderful Hillside Grocery shop (1 mile walk away) came up trumps with the loo plunger but sadly had no fresh milk…..it was coming in on the weekly boat at 5pm! With heavily laden bags of other groceries, in the midday heat we headed back to the fuel dock, both of us agreeing it was time to hitch a lift. Phoebs had to reorganise packing the bags as she was convinced we wouldn’t be picked up armed with a loo plunger! Barely a minute passed and this young lad stopped in a very welcome air conditioned car…..guaranteed he wouldn’t have stopped just for me! We were very grateful, and leapt in before he could ask us where we were going, poor chap. As my family all know I started the inquisition, asking him a 100 questions. I think he was very relieved to drop us off 1 mile down the road at the Petrol station where we happily found our gas tank all filled and ready to go. We returned to our anchoring as Phoebs leaves from here tomorrow morning at 7:30am.

Our walk to the shop

One of the many derelict houses!

On our way back we went past the Lithuanian/Israeli couple we met at the Cruisers Beach party and invited them to join us tonight at Tiny’s Hurricane Hole pub. We set off at 6:15 so we could see our way over. We’ve discovered if we get Jeldi Jeldi on the plain we get less wet and use less fuel, so we roared over. As we were getting close we were surprised at the effusive shouting and waving we were receiving and the next minute there was an almighty crunching of the prop hitting coral. The tide was exceptionally low and we had not realised it was so low, so far out. Poor Phoebs jumped out in her gorgeous silk trousers, but was rewarded with great applause and a cold beer. It was far busier than the last two occasions and must have had at least 30 people, watching the ordeal. They had obviously had quite a few drinks, the laughter and chat as we came down the dock was very funny. We were a little stunned as we still recovering from the shock, and hoping we hadn’t done any long term damage. Apparently the exact same thing had happened to the previous 3 boats so we didn’t feel too stupid. The one couple admitted they were so embarrassed with the audience when they did the same thing that they turned back and came back later much better prepared. Raphie (our dinner guest) pootled in with one oar having sussed the tide! They are real characters and very entertaining, loved hearing all about her art history book she is writing.

By 8:45 the winds had picked up and with a belly full of Grouper and Key Lime pie, I was getting a bit twitchy about getting home in the pitch dark with an engine we were hoping was in working order. Amazingly the full moon from last night was nowhere to be seen! Luckily the tide had come up and the engine fired up ok, and we roared back to Pole Pole banging against the waves with me trying to light the way with the torch. All a bit hairy especially after a Rum Punch or two, but we got home safely, only to find we had lost one of the oars in the crashing waves. It was too dark and windy to look for it, which was a frustrating way to end the evening.

Going to bed reading all about Corona Virus spreading world wide, and the whole of Italy under quarantine didn’t cheer me up any further ……… plus the fact that Phoebs was leaving.