Tuesday and Wednesday

ON Tuesday morning it started to rain, and the three other yachts all departed , thier crews having visited the Volcano on Monday evening. I was left in the gray misty bay on my own as the wind picked up and the boat swung back and forth on her anchor. ABout 11, to my delight, the Catamaran and the tiny sloop I had seen at anchor in Lenakel emerged from the gloom and set their anchors not far astern of me, and we exchanged waves. It was a day for staying on board and doing yacht chores - which for me has mostly meant finding the drips of rain that get through. Rain seems to find ways into the boat that sea water doesn't so I have little sessions of mopping up at intervals. The rest of the time I read, I have done a couple of crosswords, I eat and I make cups of tea and I sleep. Ive been reading about the first World War on my Kindle.

About 4pm Ruby buzzed across in their dinghy, soaking wet and invited me back to their boat for dinner, so a little later, with my wet weather gear on I went across and took with me a big pile of veges I had been given, and several pieces of LapLap that David gave me the night before. The skipper of the tiny sloop, Scott came over and so did the skipper of another yacht that had arrived, also a solo sailor, an eccentric Italian with a penchant for Lady Boys. So all in all we had a very enjoyable meal with a few drinks and lots of jokes and laughter. I got back about 8.30, between showers.

Today, Wednesday the weather has been just as awful and I have stayed on board all day, emerging between showers to bail out the dinghy which was a foot deep in rain water. I had a visit from Thompson in his outrigger canoe, he offered me some fish but I declined as I wasn't going to be able to go ashore to clean them and I definitely didnt want to do that on the boat as the fish smell will linger for ever. He visited me a few days ago and left a big pair of boots to repair, which I have now done using araldite and some clamps to hold them firm whilst drying. He will come for them when the rain stops.

The GRIB predicted this weather would last 48 hours so hopefully tomorrow the sun will return, the others can get to Mt Yasur and I will be happy just to get the boat dried out and my batteries topped up again.

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