Projects.

As the river empties of cruisers, most of the sane ones are off sailing, those of us left behind seem to be an industrious lot.

Here at Monkey bay marina we are blessed with a very useful workshop that is available to all the 'inmates'!
It has some serious tools like a bench saw, compressor etc.

So the variety of boat jobs that are being undertaken here is pretty ambitious. There is Woody, a Canadian carpenter, who is busy building new cockpit covers from fiberglass and now gel coating them to a professional standard. He vies for space with Jim who seems to be making something from extremely long lengths of what looks like drainpipe... Joe is regaining mastery of his Sparkman and Stevens boat, every day a new project. From refrigeration, to varnishing, to seeking out a rebuild for a hydraulic pump on his auto pilot. He works from sunrise to sunset. I watch!

Paul was installing a new roller furling drum yesterday to the accompaniment of much hammering and cursing.

And TBH has epoxied two more pieces of teak to the deck to replace a couple that had worn through. With Woody's help we now have many pieces all prepared for the furture. It's nice to see the deck looking almost pristine again.

One of the delights of cruising is the hints and tips that you glean from fellow cruisers. Whilst we all have our own 'opinions' on how to do things(!) every so often you come across an absolute gem of a craftsman who not only knows all there is to know about his own field but is delighted to pass his knowlege on to those of us who are less gifted in the practical department.

To all of you out there who share their expertise so readily and freely - a big THANK YOU.