Wax on, wax off

Perry all dressed up with mesh for
the painters, who are also sanding our hull

I like to think that we're not just sanding the bottom of our boat, we're also learning karate.



There hasn't been an update for awhile because the only thing less inspiring than spending day after day working in a boatyard has to be reading about it on someone's blog. But I offer this post as proof of life. We're still at Pangkor Marina and making slow but steady progress.

The big unknown at this point, besides whether the rainy season will completely hose us, is our new rudder stocks. We have been waiting about three weeks to get the finished posts back from the local stainless steel expert (the estimate was a week, but this is Malaysia). Once we get them, we will start rebuilding the rudders. 

The rain has cooperated with our work schedule by mostly coming at night. A few times now, we have had way-too-close, teeth-rattling thunder and lightning. When it comes time to paint, we will want clear skies, which are a rarity these days. At least the rain has knocked down some of the smog, caused by fires in Indonesia and making the air quality a serious issue in Malaysia.

Our plan to be in the boatyard for two months (including our trip to India and Nepal) has stretched to over six months and we hope to be out of here in less than eight. 

Pangkor Marina is still the best boatyard we have been in so far, thanks in large part to the locally famous owner, James Khoo. The friendly and helpful staff are like family and there is a monthly barbecue or other get-together for cruisers. We have lots of cruising friends here. Unfortunately, it's become a common occurrence to say goodbye to friends leaving their boats for months, thinking we will be gone by the time they return, only to be here to greet them after all.