The night leading up to Good Friday today was an unruly one. Somehow I didn’t get a good sleep and I attributed it to not having eaten dinner, and a full moon. But when I got up this morning I found I couldn’t walk around due to the rolling motion. The weather is still overcast, but without winds I’m lying broadside to the waves again. So far I think that the Simpson Bay is the least comfortable anchorage I’ve ever stayed in.
Morning
The divers should be coming today to clean the hull, rudder, keel & propellor. After that I can move around again. The generator fuel pump is also arriving today, I’ve already paid the waybill for air freight. But as Good Friday is a holiday here, I’m not sure if I can pick it up at the airport warehouse.
I’ve gotten the new logbook page sorted out and added this year’s tracks. There’s really not much of them – I’ve stayed here far too long.
Noon
Two lady divers have arrived and are now submerged and cleaning the hull. Today is perhaps the rolliest day in the anchorage that I’ve experienced.
The rolling just doesn’t stop like it normally does, it just keeps on going. Back and forth. Back and forth. I feel a bit uncomfortable here at the computer (I’m putting in a half day at the office today) and can’t wait to get ashore.
It took them an hour and half to clean the hull, it was encrusted worse than they’d expected and the constant rolling didn’t make their job any easier. I gave them an additional bonus that I am sure they earned.
It is now 14:00 and the boat is still rolling around like crazy, but I can’t go ashore this early, at least not to the SMYC. I might try a long hike up the hill, though.
Afternoon
I cannot stay aboard any longer – I need a break from the incessant rolling motion. I stopped at the police station dock outside of the bridge to dump my garbage, then continued to the SMYC dinghy dock to go ashore.
The picture here shows what I consider to be one of the more impolite and rude aspects of boating. The dock gets very busy in the afternoon and evening with 20-30 dinghies tied up several deep. But this owner of a big center-console dinghy has tied up on short line and locked the dinghy sideways.
This takes up about a quarter of the frontage that would otherwise be shared by 5 or more others. This is a good way to get your fuel line cut, or have someone perform and act of nature into the dinghy, or worse. I’d like to hope that this person didn’t realize what they were doing. But the consensus at the bar was that they did know and didn’t care.
Tap and Still / The Squall Band
Today I managed to stay up long enough to see the Squall Band play their full gig at the Tap & Still. I had a burger dinner in defiance of Good Friday custom and then indulged in a live music night of classic Rock & Roll from such musical greats as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and more. I really enjoyed the live music and didn’t stumble home until after midnight.
