29th April - Pete's 70th - change of plan

Friday 29^th April 2016

Pete achieved a lot on his 70^th birthday.

Firstly we got 2XS nicely splashed down into the water.  SO nice to be level again, after many many days on a slope…

And the boat looks beautiful, with its shiny new paint job.

Pete had invited the workers (about twenty in all) in the boatyard for drinks and lechon from 4-5.  He paid their wages for this hour, and provided beer, coke, and roast chickens.  (We always thought lechon meant pork but no, it just means roast.  And the local roast chickens are indeed very delicious.) 

My contribution to the festivities was to take photos of them all, and then print them out on the trusty little Canon selphy printer. 

We were tied up at the fuel pontoon, and expected the truck to arrive between 1-2.  It arrived, with splendid timing, at EXACTLY 4pm, just as our guests were clambering aboard…

We invited just a few of our friends and neighbours for drinks as well, and then Chris and Liz stayed on for Pete’s favourite birthday meal – potatoes, beans and lamb chops.  I had gone to great length to find these chops (Swiss Deli) and they were extraordinarily expe3nsvie.  And…not very nice… Lamb chops are never very nice, in my opinion, but these ones…well nobody thought they were fabulous.  But – at least I tried!

This morning we had our final rally briefing, with naval security people present.  And we now have a new plan…But I won’t describe it on this blog; as my daughters say, very sensibly, “Pirates can read, Mum!”  I will just write about where we are the day AFTER we have been there…

table decoration for tonight's gala dinner