Sunday 1 September 2013

Why it's so quiet here

It's been ages since I posted anything, but time in Denmark flew by. I have now been back in Brueni on Sophia for a week, but unfortunately I'm alone. Phil was going back here two weeks before me, but while he was underway, his dad died, so he detoured straight to NZ where he will be for another two-three weeks yet. This is when international relationships are a bummer and the long distances suck. Feeling are just really hard to convey on skype and email!

Being alone on the boat is another interesting challenge for me, especially since it was so unexpected. The really nice thing is that I'm feeling very much at home here in Brueni having been here for such a long time before we left and everyone are very friendly and helps me out if I need it.

One often discussed cruising subject is pink and blue jobs. On Sophia we're very traditional, mainly because Phil is the traditional male not being very domestic in the cooking, cleaning and laundry department. And since I do almost all those things exclusively, it's only fair that Phil does the typical blue jobs such as engine maintenance, hauling heavy stuff and so forth. He's also the most technical/computer minded, so he also does navigation.

This coming week we're having visitors (yeah, we love visitors), Sarah and Anton found time to come see us while they were here in Asia anyway. Obviously this was planned a while ago. I'm going to take them cruising around here and that's main challenge. The 'funny' thing is if it was Phil who was alone here, it would be much more 'normal' and not cause anyone to thing twice. My main worry is the engine, if something happens with that, I'll have no idea what to do.

The only problem that has arisen this week was the outboard engine, another blue job. It lost a part of the fuel on/off valve and was therefore leaking fuel. Luckily I got help the first night, so I could get out to Sophia. Then I did a really silly blond thing, I went to the yamaha store in town. The problem is our outboard is a mercury! How stupid can one be... Anyway, they didn't have the part, or actually they did, but they couldn't find it. Phil will get one in NZ and bring back here. I made an alternative solution (inspired how the guy fixed it the first night) with some hose and a ball squeeze thingy directly into a jerry can. It does the trick, it's just not very weather proof.

I'm skipping July and August's cruising budgets as the far majority of that time was spent in Denmark, but will be back in a month's time with September.

Below are more picture of our Denmark holiday, including a little mini holiday to Goteborg, Sweden.
My twin and I, her boys and our parents. The green thing is a Kaj cake, very yummy :-)
My twin top right, little sis top left. Centre pic includes my friend Theresa's two girls, the one whom we stayed with in Singapore. 
Mini trip to Goteborg, Sweden. We got a 24 hour city pass so did lots of things, including a boat tour and Liseberg (amusement park). Bottom is me in heaven in a Swedish lollies shop :-)
Martiman Museum was really cool, a collection of various ships, including a submarine and a destroyer!
 
Universum is Scandinavia's larges science museum, also super cool, in the hot and humid jungle section we felt very much at home...

2 comments:

  1. Love the pictures! I understand about handling visitors on your own. I would love to say I can do anything Jamie does, but I simply can't, and I've never single-handed our boat. You'll do fine I am sure, and a few extra hands won't hurt either. Where will you go with them? We're on Tioman now... life is good.

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    1. Hi Behan, yeah, there are definitely a few things I want to learn from Phil when he comes back, but for some things I simply also just lack the muscle, things like unscrewing a really tight bolt etc! I sailed to Labuan by myself and came back to Brunei from Tiga also by myself, and it was just fine, but it certainly was more fun when I had extra hands onboard :-) We went up Klias river and to Tiga, a perfect combo to experience most of Borneo in only 5 days! I look forward to reading what you think of Tioman, and looking forward to going there too!

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