Still Hanging out here in Malta

There are quite a few of us still hanging out here in Malta.  Weather conditions have been less than ideal for moving onwards.  However our cruising friends are a little bemused by the way SY Matelot manages to move on from one place to another.  

We start out tied to a large steel ketch... us and four other vessels.

Richard chats to our neighbour on the catamaran

Its a great spot in calm conditions but we soon spot an easterly heading our way and move on to safer moorings.

However, in the meantime its very social ...

There are two other boats ex Marina di Ragusa and then the catamaran arrives with a delivery skipper on board and spends a couple of days there while a NE gale goes through.

We sit down and work out what we need to do to prepare for our planned Atlantic crossing later in the year.

Also, what is broken and needs fixing, apart from us...

List of boat jobs for Richard and Pippy - Some of them....

Pippy:  Locate computer repair specialist and take hard drive which is making loud scratching noise to get all our photos from 2012 off it if still ok.  Yes drive fortunately still okay but need to ditch the case.  Buy 64 gig flash drive for E50.

Richard:  Supervise major engine service and replacement of some parts. Organise service of existing life raft.

Pippy:  Write another list of boat jobs.

Richard:  Take dinghy to Manoel Island Yacht Yard for repairs.  We cannot find that leak!

Wash red dust from boat

Check bilge and find water … problem with on board fresh water pump

Pippy:  Several trips to Jabsco agent to ascertain what needs to be done.  Yes it is simple and we can do it ourselves

Pippy dismantle water pump and put it on the table in saloon.   Richard replace diaphragm and internal parts then put it back together.  Pippy install water pump and join up plumbing.  Pump works… no leaks (edited simplified version!)

P and R:  Remove lazy bag from main boom and send for repairs

P and R:  Wash main sail – hoist and inspect

Richard:  Figure out why main will not come down

Pippy:  Hoist Richard up mast to bring it down

Richard:  Dismantle main sail from top batcar and inspect to find almost no ball bearings left

Richard:  Walk 2 km to chandlery and buy more ball bearings for batcar

Richard:  Poke ball bearings in one by one, stop swearing so much and locate a rigger to find out why we still have this problem!!!

Pippy:  Buy some food supplies and wheel them back to boat on trolley

Richard:  Have EPIRB checked – yes its okay for another year

R and P:  Take C-Map cards to dealer and talk about having overwritten with new charts… expensive so put in too hard basket.

Pippy:  Walk to chandlery and drop off fire extinguishers (on trolley) for service.  Shop for food on way home as can use trolley for return trip.

Richard:  Check up on dinghy repairs with Manoel Island and arrange to have (new from friends) off shore life raft fitted to stern.

Pippy:  Check bilge to find yet more water in there

Richard:  Find leak and undo and replumb leaking hose fitting to watermaker

Pippy:  Hand stitch spray dodger back together where it is splitting down a seam.  R and P:  Take it down and slide it around so that it fits properly. 

Richard:  Get sail bag back;  Pippy: hand stitch some parts still not fixed

R and P:  Reinstall sail bag on boom while main is in place and stop main sail from falling all over deck at same time.

Pippy:  Now figure out now how we are going to repair sail bag where it falls apart along zipper seam after being installed.

Pippy:  Tie sail bag down with rope as big winds coming (Richard has taken to his bed with chest infection due probably to high levels of dust in the air.

Pippy:  Question mark on accumulator (in line with water pump and provides pressure) which now does not seem to be working – probably needs pumping up but we don’t have a bike pump on board.  Yes Jabsco agent confirms diagnosis. Buy bike pump and get to work.

Try not to shout at one another

Pippy:  Walk 2km to pharmacy to get cough medicine for Richard plus fruit and veg for boat

Pippy:  Optimise a list of photos for blog.  Go to Royal Malta Yacht Club and use their internet to upload photos and finish blog.  See dentist about new crown.  Finish blog in dentist waiting room.

Richard:  Swap our cruiser life raft with an off shore one and have it serviced.

Pippy:  Fill up with water, put more lines on stern to stop swinging, cook dinner, add fenders to stern.

Sit on boat while being lashed by fierce wind from SW then NW after which wash red dust from boat before hopefully getting away Saturday.

Well, Saturday does not happen and in the meantime we are dusted with quantities of red Sahara sand mixed with dust during a howling gale.  Yuck!  The atmosphere is full of it and Richard gets a chest infection.

Now on the breakwater in M'Sida Creek

We move on to a free mooring in Sliema Creek..  More later.  Will publish now before I get thrown out of this bar.

Pippy signing offxxxx