8, 101.7, and 7000

Now that the painting is behind me I'm started to reload the boat from the bodega.

This phase began yesterday when I moved the kedging anchor rode from the foredeck to the port quarter berth.  The 55 meters of 15mm rope provides a soft foundation that protects sections of wiring and one of the few lines that passes through the area.  On top of that rope is the 7 meters of 12 mm chain, representing a transfer of 17.5 kg (38 lb) from the forepeak to the stern.  On top of that is the dismantled Swarbrick 50 lb anchor.   However, I placed the Danforth kedging anchor (which I estimate to weigh about 30 lb) back in its original location where it stores very well.  Removing that rode from the compartment between the V berths has opened up terrific opportunities for secure and handy storage of important items.

While I was handling the anchor rode it occurred to me that it and the even longer working deep water rode up front on the upper shelf of the anchor well would make excellent trailing drogues in an emergency because they are very long and have lots of chain at the end.  Arnold and I could have used one when we had to work very very hard at the wheel all night running before a gale in Bass Strait.  Pachuca has a very "squirrely" rear end in those conditions.

9 sails and parachute sea anchor (red bag on top)

Today I moved the sails from the bodega into Pachuca's sail storage lockers.  There are 8 sails, yielding a total inventory of 11 sails if we include the jib and mainsail that are in use as well as the storm trysail waiting for me in Kingston.

I split up the relatively heavy spare headsails, putting one in each locker with the trim of the boat in mind.  The sails that I am most likely to use, in particular the staysail and trysail, are in the port locker, and so is the 18' parachute sea anchor.  On the starboard side I managed to also stow the beautiful new emergency tiller, broken down to two pieces - tiller and shaft - to rest in gleaming splendor in the soft comfort of the MPS spinnaker.  The stock is too long to fit in the quarter berth locker, and in any event it's too classy a creation to reside in the rough neighborhood of chains and anchors.

I picked a hot day in which to do the transfer.  At the time of this writing, 2.20 PM, the cabin temperature is 101.7 F, so it must be over 100 F outside.

The reason why I have found myself working in the heat of the day is that I had a dental appointment at 10 AM with Dr. De Castillo, Bob Carrol's dentist.  Dr. De Castillo works alone but he has a modern and well equipped facility.  He speaks better English than I had expected. Repair work on that large filling that disintegrated in an upper left molar will not be as simple as I had hoped.  Dr. De Castillo says that there is a problem between that tooth and a partial plate that anchors in that area.  He talked about either a root canal and post (and crown, I presume) or, if I understood correctly, removing the tooth and extending the partial plate.

In today's session he cleaned my gum area with some sort of ultrasound jet.  He wants me back on Saturday to see how the gum settles down before discussing the next step.  I'll vote for the root canal.  He told me that the ballpark cost figure is 7000 pesos, which represents about 560 Aussie dollars.  Dr. De Castillo's brief includes fixing another pain area in my lower left jaw and doing a complete check to prepare me for the long voyage back to Australia.