Countdown and hoarding

 

You never know when you'll see a random cow

We're about a week or so away from leaving Galle, after over ten months here. We have been fortunate to have a relatively safe place to weather a lot of the pandemic, but are definitely ready to move on.

As part of our preparations, Matt has been checking and prepping our various systems. The genny needed a new impeller. The forest of growth on the engine propellers did not stop them from spinning, so we can probably make it over to the nearby anchorage, "Jungle Beach" to clean off the growth (we couldn't do that in the harbor due to the rules, but even if we could we wouldn't want to get into the dung filled, radioactive pool that we're floating in--okay, it's mostly just diesel, sewage, and dead fish/animals, but still).

 

We have also been Stocking Up (capitals intended). We have heard that it may be difficult for us to get supplies in the Maldives (both because of limited availability in many places and because it is still not clear whether we can go shopping for ourselves once in the Maldives). After our three months or so in the Maldives, the plan is to head to Chagos/ BIOT, where there will be ZERO supplies. So we need at least four months of provisions. Since it is cheap and easy to get stuff here, we are packing ourselves to the gills in flour (50 kg or 110 pounds), olive oil (8 liters), oats (enough to feed a horse), meat, cheese--you name it.

We put 120-plus eggs (there are two containers, one of which is pictured above) in pickling lime (calcium hydroxide). This is supposed to keep them good for a year or more without refrigeration. Of course, most people that use this technique live on land, not on a boat, so we'll see how our eggs do when they get bounced around a bit.

We are glad we got our BIOT permit early. We didn't realize until recently that only three boats at a time will be allowed in. We have connected online with the two other boats that will be there during the first half of our stay.

We have a few more things to buy, including a new 12.5 kg tank of propane and a whole bunch of UHT milk, and then we'll be ready to throw off the dock lines. We will head over to Jungle Beach (the anchorage, not the beach, since we won't be able to go on land at that point) and clean the 'jungle' from our bottom. We'll see how easy it is to clean our bottom after many months in the scuzzy harbor water. Although it's always been one of my least favorite jobs, it will be nice to be at anchor again. Then it's off to the Maldives.