To continue:
The power on the docks is 220v, and our boat is wired 110v only. However, our solar panels managed to keep our batteries charged.
The haulout was an exciting experience: There was a strong crosscurrent as we pulled up to the travel lift. The operator told Bill just to run the boat into the forward strap which would stop the boat and hold it in place until the aft strap could be properly aligned (so as not to mangle the prop and shaft). It seemed like we were rising up out of the water in 60 seconds. The lift pulled forward and we beheld the shag carpet weird looking growth the bottom. Yikes! The yard workers suited up and blasted it clean with fire hoses. Then the lift driver threaded the lift through the yard narrowly missing assorted obstacles. The whole experience was a sight to behold.
The next day one of the painter’s helpers showed up and started scraping the bottom. He made rapid progress. Though from inside the boat it sounded like giant fingernails on a blackboard. We got a room at a local motel as we prepared for our trip home. The weather had been pretty chilly, and only seemed to warm up a couple days before we left.
Late Friday afternoon, the day before we were to leave, seemed like the perfect time to start ripping out the so-called refer insulation. It was a sodden, sloppy mess. As we contemplated the haphazard installation, we deduced that the work must have done at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon….hmmm.
One of the yard supervisors and the local refrigeration experts proposed some improvements to be made whilst we were away.
We caught a plush bus to Auckland and spent the night with our friends, Bev and Mike Webster. In addition, to the normal luggage, we had a duffel bag full of broken boat stuff for repair or replacement in the US. Bev and Mike took us to the airport, and stood by while we checked in and kept us company until it was time to board. (Thanks Bev and Mike!) The Air New Zealand flight was nice, although the crying baby duet seemed a bit much.
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