We’ve been ‘On the Hard’ now for 7 months at Linton Bay Marina in Panama on the Atlantic Ocean side. It’s continually hot and humid. The rainy season, which runs from June to November ended late and we only started seeing dry days towards the end of January. Now end April, it has already started raining most nights.
Our numerous jobs of Repair, Replacement, Upgrading is taking FAR longer than we anticipated, partly due to the inclement weather for so many months, but also because workers here are largely unreliable and slow, and Nicholas constantly checks that each step of a job as been properly done. Further, as we ‘take the boat apart’ we have found leaks we did not know about, and add extra upgrades or replacements to items that weren’t on our original list.
The Bulkhead repair that I wrote about in my previous Blog is fully complete, but the Port Cabin Bulkhead, which we decided to beef-up has not been done, as Panama has run out of stock of the necessary 2-part Epoxy Resin for the past 3 months. So it’s the major job we have to do before we get Splashed (back into the water). I contact the importer every week to check whether supplies have arrived in the country, and think I might look at USA to see if I can Ocean Freight it in (no Air Freight as it’s a hazardous material).
We made a wonderful visit to Chicago to see Kieran, Katie and our Granddaughter Arden. Katie is 7 months pregnant, and they’ve just moved into a new home, So Nicholas and I helped with unpacking boxes and Nicholas installing shelving in the Garages, Workshop and Storeroom.
Garage shelving going up
Fitting bicycle supports to hang bikes
I made Biltong for Kieran
Erecting a House Double Bunk with slide for Arden
Back at Meshugga, Taping up to spray-paint a dinged area
Removing and reseating All our hatches as well as our Stanchions and Pulpit
Sanding an area that has been spray-painted - an errant run.
Ally, Matt and crew Kian ready to depart from Linton Bay Marina. Riley the dog.
SV Dulcinea, in the travel lift, ready to be splashed (Matt & Ally’s boat)
Christmas Time, so Fruit Mince Pies
Christmas Cake 
Cut into thirds - easier to keep and fit into my Tupperwares. Should last a few months
English Pork Pies
Was fun to meet up with Doug and Carolyn of SV Viento, on their brief visit to Linton Bay Marina
Dinghy floor and rear being spray painted, before new flooring goes in
Riley, who belong to Luis the Welder (his business is next to Meshugga), loves to sleep in the shade under Meshugga
Some of our workers. Jose, Russel and Johnny
New Zojorushi Breadmaker is the charm, making Huge loaves every time
Every Tuesday and Friday, Joel the Fruit and Veg man arrives with Fresh Produce from the Colon Markets
Balboa Panamanian Beer @ Nancy’s Blue House
Nancy’s excellent Pizza
Removing and re-seating all our rear windows and sliding doors, both port and starboard
Rear windows taped up overnight, as it’s more than a one-day job to do eight windows
Working between rain showers
Ceiling and side panels all need to be removed to access holes for stanchion bolts and nuts
Christmas Eve I had unsettling news that my Mum Genevieve had multiple Strokes and was in a serious condition. I waited til early January, and the prognosis was not good, so I made the long haul from Panama via Florida USA to Pretoria South Africa. Interesting view flying over the Florida Keys
Having visited my Mum - by this time she was in a Hospice Facility and I said my Goodbyes, (my brother Mark and sister Tania also came during this time). Mum unfortunately did not regain consciousness after the strokes, was severely brain damaged and totally unresponsive. There was no hope of improvement, and we hoped her final few days would be peaceful and painless. I flew to Durban to visit family. Thanks Tania and Edward for hosting me. ❤️❤️
Nephew Warren, Kylie his wife and little William with my sister Tania (Warrens mum)
Niece Lauren, Leonard her husband, kids Abigail, Zach and Danny, with my sister Tania and Edward her husband. (Lauren is their daughter)
Coffee with my nephew Theo, (Marks son)
Then another flight, this time to Cape Town, my home town.
Dinner with my bestie Melissa
Time get my Cancer screens done
Mammogram
Bone Density
MRI, Brain and Full Body
No Photo of the PET scan machine ( I forgot)
Results came back Good, ie: no increase in Tumor Growth since previous scans of 18 months go.
Bone Density not so good - will have to try address that.
Beautiful Cape Town’s 12 Apostles
Dinner with Penny and Mike (Sister-in-law, and Brother-in-law). Thank you SO much for letting me stay with you ❤️❤️
Niece Mandy, with her husband Chris and kids Cameron and Logan
Girls weekend with my sisters-in-law Penny and Jenny (Nicholas’s sisters). Thank you Jenny for hosting us at your century old home in Caledonia❤️❤️
Iconic Table Mountain
Lunch with another bestie Liezel
Fun event at Royal Cape Yacht Club with good friends Jeanne and John Martin
Event was the visitation of Princess Anne, renewing our Clubs Royal status, seen here with our General Manager Toni Maniprise. Alan Hafela our Commodore behind them.
Sadly, but expected, my Mum passed away and I returned to Pretoria for her funeral.
My brother Mark and sister Tania (he changed his shirt and jacket for the photo) 🤣
The flight back to Panama was a long flight, and 56 hours later I arrived back at Meshugga. Beautiful Tall Ship in the bay
Early February, the 6th, Kieran and Katie had a little boy, Ronan. All well and healthy with both Katie and Ronan. (Regret no photos, they do not want their kids on any Social Media platforms).
I’ve managed to find an easy, relatively cheap way to get Packages from the USA to Meshugga. And approximately every 2 weeks we get a delivery.
Local bus from Linton Bay Marina
Happy Valentines Day ❤️ from Nicholas
We have an unwelcome visitor aboard Meshugga. A Rat! It has caused chaos munching on food in packets, plastic bottles, and biting at my Tupperware containers which contain food.
I laid two types of Rat poison laid in various locations around the boat where the rat has left droppings or eaten
Next morning, I had luck with it/they having eaten on two locations
All food is now in these plastic containers, or in the fridge, freezer
Or Dishwasher 😂
Concerned that the Rat/s might die somewhere inaccessible in the bilges or passages where wiring run, I bought Rat Traps, and baited them. It/they have set one off, unfortunately not successfully, and now are shy of the Traps. I suppose time will tell if the rat/s die from the ingested poison - by smell I suppose 🤷♀️
I have these traps in 4 locations
I note whilst doing this Blog, that I’ve not taken many photos of all the Work being done on Meshugga. I’ll try remedy that going forward.
