Greetings from Gran Canaria.
Having had a couple of miserable days with no sun and some rain (are you feeling sorry for us yet) the weather is starting to perk up a little this morning - I live in hope!
I have to report that we were spectacularly stood up last night! We planned a BBQ (OK it rained but all BBQs have to involve rain) and we had invited quite a lot of people - four crew from the Danmark, eight from the Picton Castle (she arrived yesterday afternoon) our agent, George from El Rancho, who very generously donated a huge piece of beef, and none of them turned up!!
Talk about Billy no-mates. Poor Alf, who has retired from maintenance and had spent the day sightseeing in the old part of town was force fed steaks till he could eat no more. Even Steve Higgs was heard to say no more meat - and that is rarely heard! Anyway, it was a BBQ in the best JST fashion - cooked to perfection by the engineers - thanks guys.
So, what are we up to now?
We are almost ready to lift out the generators - mind you the new ones are not here yet, but should arrive imminently. Soon we will lift out the soft patch (for the uninitiated - which was me until last week- that is the rectangular area forward of the main mast, which you may have thought was there for decoration!), and with the aid of a crane lift out the generators and put new ones in. Sounds simple doesn't it!!
Bosun John is busy painting deck heads and weather doors, Ali has been devising a system of access for the Stairs of Terror - which will have to be renamed I suppose, and Steve has been buried under a mountain of risk assessments. As for me, I just clean and clean and for fun(!?!) stock take the promotional merchandise.
Will report when we have anything to tell you - I know everyone is waiting with their breath held- but don't 'cos it may be some time!
Bye for now
Sue - Medical Purser