LIFE AND WORK MOVES ON

Ocean View Marina
Samal Island, Davao
Philippines

This has been a hectic week since the kidnapping of the persons here in the marina. Our thoughts are with those who are missing but as with any tragedy life must go on. Security around the marina has been greatly upgraded and we also now have military personnel on the grounds 24/7.

The absence of Kjarten, the yard manager, who was one of those taken, has left a large hole in the overall operation of the marina especially the boat yard section. The workers don't seem as motivated without his supervision so we have decided to scale back on the amount of work that will be done during our haul out and the brunt of it will fall to Kathy and I.

Work has started with the removal of the boom for painting but now we will no longer pull the mast for paint. We had workers start the removal of bottom paint but after observing to many breaks I have now taken on that job. Following that the important jobs will be the new rigging and rebuilding the seacocks and inspection of the thru hulls. We just had news from a friend who owns a sistership though a year newer that just had a thru hull failure. Luckily they were aboard and not in danger of sinking. Our inspection of thru hulls had been planned for this haul out but having a friend experience  a failure makes one realize how important this can be.

So our work will continue along with positive thoughts for our missing friends.

KIDNAPPING

Ocean View Marina
Samal, Is. Davao
Philippines

Last night armed terrorists entered the marina and four persons were kidnapped. We are safe and there is increased security.

At this time for more info check the internet.

HAULED OUT

Ocean View Marina
07° 11.89 N 125° 42.615 E
Samal Is. Davao
Mindanao, Philippines

We are now and have been for the last week in the hard stand area of the marina. We came out of the water last Monday, 14 Sept. as planned. Here a cradle attached on top of a large trailer is lowered down a ramp into the water and at the appropriate high tide you drive onto the cradle.

TOMORROW WITH HIGH TIDE

Our draft as we now sit is a bit over two meters or 6' 7''. According to Kjarten, the yard manager, we would need a high tide of 1.7 meters to get situated on the cradle. Once you get in the cradle the workers in the water and watching with their dive masts place blocks under the keel and get the boat aligned properly. As the tide drops you are firmly set.

THE TIDE IS HIGH

SECURING THE CRADLE

THE TIDE IS DROPPING

Next the trailer and cradle are pulled up using a treaded back hoe. Once out of the water the yard boys scrape the barnacles and scrub off any slime. No pressure washer just manual labor.

KATHY RIDING ALONG

NO POWER WASH HERE

We were then maneuvered up into the yard and backed into our spot in the hard stand area. The cradle is then blocked up and the trailer removed for the next boat going in or out.

MAKING SURE WE'RE LEVEL

REMOVING THE TRAILER

THIS!!!

OR THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Always before on the hard it has been a ladder to climb up and down on, not a pretty thought when we may be out of the water for several months. Here several of the others confined to the hard have had actual stairs constructed. Kathy was immediately in favor of this and now after a week of climbing back and forth it is a great idea.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

EARLY CHRISTMAS FOR PO OINO ROA

Ocean View Marina, Samal Is.
07° 11.89 N 125° 42.615 E
Davao City, Mindanao
Philippines

Yes, I have been quite derelict in doing any writing, I just spend most evenings reading a book or catching up on the world of sports via the internet. Since we or at least the boat has experienced an early Christmas and tomorrow we move from floating in the marina to life on the hard we are in for a busy time.

Shopping for some things, especially marine products, here in the Philippines is difficult. Instead we do lots of our buying via the internet and then using a freight forwarder have all the goodies then boxed up and transported via ship. This typically takes 6 to 8 weeks once the box is shipped. We just had two boxes arrive and another is on it's way.

JUST LIKE UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE

WIRING FOR THE NEW AUTO PILOT

STANDING AND RUNNING RIGGING

NEW BEDDING AND SEWING MATERIAL

As you can see most all things are for the boat not Kathy or me. Now with all of this new stuff and a very long list of things to do before we depart the Philippines early next year it is time to get busy.

We have been waiting for several things to happen before having the boat hauled from the water and starting what is known as "life on the hard". the stars have now aligned, the rigging stuff is here, there is room on the concrete and we have a favorable high tide to fit on the haul out cart.

                        Kathy will be driving us onto this cart tomorrow morning at high water

 WE THEN GET PULLED UP TO THE HARDSTAND AREA

WE'LL BE SOMEWHERE HERE ON THE CONCRETE

I at least managed a bit of an update and hope to keep more current with my writing so you can see that we do spend time other than relaxing in the sun while living the dream