To oil or not to oil?

22nd March 2008

Kind of a boring one today, we finished cleaning the wheel with Nitrol and I spent a good while obsessively scraping off the last tiny little bits of varnish that had been missed. We started washing it off with white spirit but then the great debate about whether to sand down the dents at the ends of the spokes and what finish to put on it started. Finally, a special varnish was decided upon and people went ashore to get it, but it’s Good Friday and all the shops are shut until Tuesday. As we’re possibly supposed to be going out for a day sail on Monday I’m starting to get rather frustrated as we only have one day to get it done, we’ll probably oil it now, but we need to get on with it pronto!

My heat rash has got worse, now it’s on my feet as well, it’s driving me nuts, but they have found a lotion in the medical cabinet that helps a little. The best thing for it though was my swim this evening. I did 4 laps of the ship this evening, to make up for not doing any last night. As I finished my second lap the Unicorn came past on a sunset jolly, crammed full of tourists and pretending to sail, but with smoke bellowing from the engine. She’s the local Tall Ship, pandering to the tourists who want to get pissed and pretend to be a pirate for a day. We saw her going out this morning as well, looks pretty but I wouldn’t think she sails well.
The new captain Doug Lindsay arrived today, along with another chap called David, and we lost Bruce this morning. There’s only a couple more people to join now I think. I’m really looking forward to getting underway now, Rodney Bay is pleasant enough but isn’t the most exciting place to be, and I haven’t even been up the mast yet either.

I’m on mess duty tomorrow, which means I have to be up at 6.30, so I’m going to hit my bunk now, but to make up for the dullnes of the blog I’ll put some pics up :)