The Bölla

That I didn't grow up with two left hands, our old Swede has realized in the meantime, and after he has been driving his watermaker around in the bilge for four years, he asked me to help him install it. It may be because English is not the native language of both of us, but somehow I misunderstood something. Anyway, right now it's like I'm installing the watermaker and he's helping me. But maybe he does that just to give me the feeling that I am still good for something. Some people who leave their jobs have the problem of falling into a deep crisis because they think they are no longer needed. But I don't want to tell him that he doesn't have to worry about me either. Old Swedes are just very sensitive and socially minded, so we have a lot of fun at work. Whereby he combines in doing things more German characteristics in himself, than I myself. That's why I've been wondering which of us is actually the old Swede. 

Bad Weather

The other day he complained that Bölla had been banging on his boat half the night. I then said to him that the Bölla was once nice and clean and yellow, whether he could see how he looks now? Yes, he says, from the former shine is not much left, but are not we all like that? No idea what he is talking about, after all I am still a young Adonis. Gaby also claims that I already have a few scratches, and with the fall, a few weeks ago, I come along like a wingless duck, but she says that only to annoy me.

Now that we have found a place in the boat for all the components of the watermaker and they are mounted, we can start laying the hoses. Before that, however, various holes must be drilled to get to the individual filters and membranes. If you measure a lot, you measure crap. My old Swede must have German relatives, at least in the third or fourth generation. Nevertheless, we come to an agreement after he himself tried to drill a hole in the cabinet, which he failed to do. From the hole, in which he sank himself up to the half, only so word scraps came like fu..., shi..., at, from which I could form however no rhyme. When he had hit his brain three times and peeled himself out of the cupboard with difficulty, he pressed the drill into my hand and said something like, "see if you can do it". So I dug through the boat and set the holes to be able to pull the hoses through later.

The last winter days here on the Gambiers are numbered. The day after tomorrow is the beginning of spring. It is once again pouring with rain and it is two o'clock in the morning. A strong gust has woken me from my slumber. The anchor alarm goes off. A false alarm, because once again I have not seen the Bölla and therefore aimed wrong. I switch on the plotter to be able to judge better wind speed and situation. Gaby is lying in the salon again. She always does that when it gets restless, the devil knows why. "Will you stay with me," comes out from under the blanket. Even a wingless duck like me is still good for comfort. I have to laugh, because Germany comes to mind again, which at the last downpour, something about heavy rain has blathered. Then one can speak here probably confidently of deluge. Anyway, the dinghy is once again up to the upper edge lower lip full and I can deal as so often lately with the scooping out, which benefits my Adonis figure, however. Unfortunately, dinghy bailing is one of the most boring activities there is. And as if on cue, d'r Bölla knocks on the boat again and says: ""Hey, I'm still here too!"We lay the hoses and connect everything, hoping that it will be tight. But a new challenge is already in the house, respectively in the ship. The boat-side connections are of course not present in the watermaker set. My old Swede has also not cared so far and already the discussion starts again, whether one does not bring on a 3/4" hose connection, also a 5/8 hose on it or what the difference in millimeters, between a 1/2" and 3/8" is. I say, "Of course we can tinker something together, but maybe we should first see if we can't get matching parts." Granted, rather unlikely here on Mangareva, but we've arranged to meet tomorrow morning and at least give it a try. So you see, the story with the watermaker remains exciting, let's see how this still ends. At least the weather forecast announces beautiful weather at the beginning of spring, which will certainly please us and the Bölla, and the old Swede certainly too. Until next week, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.