Fri 1st Jan 2021 Cascais
Really should have got up for the beach around 10, to watch all the crazy people going into the freezing cold water for the 1st of January new year swim 😂! But didn’t get up until 1! Woken up by Luis hammering on the Hull, came round to show us his jetski. Lazy day the rest of the day. Curfew from 1pm, today, tomorrow, and the 3rd.
Sat 2nd Jan 2021 Cascais
Another lazy day today.
Sun 3rd Jan 2021 Cascais
Went to Santa Marta (our favourite wee beach next to the marina) for a paddle, got our toes tickled by tiny shrimp, watched two snorklers come in after their fish catch.
Back to the boat for soup and sandwich lunch, curfew again from 1pm. Did a lot of packing and preparation for the lift out tomorrow.
Mon 4th Jan 2021 Cascais
Lifting out day today. Boatyard guys arrived around 10.30 to tow us round to the hoist for lift out. Luis gave us a hand, all went very well, and smoothly, but Nick was super stressed through it all 😳. Avy-J was amazing. Its been a year and a half since she was ant-fouled, and put back in the water, but all she had was a very thin layer of scum, but no growth! Got her power washed, and sorted out with Pedro what needed to be done, then headed to marina to settle up, still none of the four Christmas packages arrived yet ☹️, and one was posted on the 1st Dec! Went for lunch, fried prawns, chips, bread, and beer, delicious!
Luis then gave us a lift in his van round to the flat. Got settled in, then went for tea of chicken and chips (think we’ll turn into chicken and chips 🐔🍗🍟).
Tues 5th Jan 2021 Cascais
Nick got a telephone call from Pedro at the yard. He said we needed a new prop shaft, over €500 just for that 😳😭. Looking like our bill for the yard will be around two thousand euros 😱, and that’s not counting the rest of the money we’ll owe to Joao!
Wed 6th Jan 2021 Cascais
Nick received a very detailed estimate from Pedro at the boatyard, tow, lift out, prop up, power wash, antifoul, new prop shaft, new Seacocks, re-launch £2,440! Still have to receive a final bill from Joao too. Prop shaft won’t be ready till Friday, earliest work will be finished is next Wed. Nick had to go see Pedro to find out who was re-packing stern gland, got it sorted, and spoke to Joao too, everything now sorted for work to go full steam ahead, all we can do now is wait.
Arranged an extra few days in the flat, as we’re only booked for the week, if boat is ready for Wed, we will check out of flat on Thursday.
Thurs 7th Jan 2021 Cascais
A very lazy day today, didn’t even get dressed lol.
Fri 8th Jan 2021 Cascais
Nick went to the marina, Kirstin’s second Christmas parcel had arrived, then we went for a walk down to the town beach, was sunny, but cold. Had a coffee before heading back to the flat. No word from Pedro that propshaft done.
Sat 9th Jan 2021 Cascais
A horrifying discovery made this evening. Portugal looks set to go into another national lock down this week, the boat will be trapped in the boatyard, which is our home/living accomodation, this flat is over €300 a week, full lock down could be six weeks, this is a crisis, what the hell are we going to do! This is just unbelievable, stuck in the marina for over three months, and now this has to happen as soon as the boat is out the water, making us homeless. How much more bad luck can happen to us 😢😢. This is so unfair after all we’ve been through 😢😢😢.
🥺😢 We are going to be in some pickle, feeling very low. New engine was delivered on 11th Nov 2020!!!
Sun 10th Jan 2021 Cascais
Malcolm’s birthday.
We are both feeling (in the fresh light of day), apart from being shattered as still awake at 4am this morning, less worried, less stressed, and a bit more optimistic that things will work out.
1. We don’t know when Portugal will go into a full lock down, if it does.
2. The boat might be finished, and re-launched before that happens.
3. We don’t know if the yard will be locked down, it may not, they might be able to continue working, and re-launched boat.
Fingers crossed. Will speak to Pedro on Monday. Heaviest snow fall in Spain for 50 years.
Monday 11th January 2021 Cascais
Forgot to phone Malcolm last night to say Happy birthday. Went to see Pedro at the yard, Luis came up as well to help with any language problems. Pedro said the lock down wouldn’t affect the yard, they would be opened, and allowed to work. Propshaft is still not ready, and Seacocks delayed due to the snow in Spain, Pedro said he will know tomorrow when they will arrive, said he’d phone us. Nick got some shopping, was still unable to get a sim for the hub. Both still shattered.
Tues 12th Jan 2021 Cascais
Quiet day. Phoned Mum, and Malcolm video called in the evening.
Wed 13th Jan 2021 Cascais
Took a walk down to the town beach. Was a beautiful day, temp coming up, but getting a little chilly in the shade and wind as we were late on getting out for a walk.
Had another ride on the big wheel, this time in the daylight, and Nick bought me a poncho l’d had my eye on, and a Cascais t-shirt, late Christmas present.
Thurs 14th Jan 2021 Cascais
Boat problems again. Pedro has said there is some play in the new propshaft, shouldn’t be as there wasn’t any in old shaft, new shaft supposed to be same size, so we don’t know what the hell is going on. Nick going to go to boatyard to try and find out. New seacocks have been done.
Nick came back, said all ok, problem was with the cutlass bearing. Pedro sent final yard bill, €884.60 cash, and €1,826.23, what a shock. Nick’s bank won’t let him do an online International bank transfer, he did a transfer using TransferWise, money went out of his account, but got paused as Nick’s bank stuffed up the transfer due to connecting the account (his personal account) that the money was coming out of with his business account (Webcraft).
Took a long time to get it sorted.
Fri 15th Jan 2021 Cascais
Nick up early to phone TransferWise, also complained to his bank.
Looks like (hopefully) all sorted, and Pedro gets his money for launch to go ahead today, but he is not answering Nick’s messages. This is the problem with both Pedro and Joao, Nick cannot get them to answer their phones, return calls, or reply to his messages. Don’t want to pack up the flat in case the launch falls through today, other than saying the boat is being launched today, Pedro has not given us a time, and Joao has not been in contact with Nick, its a nightmare, sitting in limbo in the flat. Now found out boat is not being launched 😭.
Saturday 16th Jan 2021 Cascais
Yesterday was a nightmare. Portugal went back into a national lock down again, and boat wasn’t launched.
Engine is unbalanced, vibrating, and rocking badly backwards and forwards putting massive strain on the new prop shaft, and cutlass bearing, not good.
24th Jan 2021 Cascais
Not a good day today (mentally), feeling very stressed and down, not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Nick phoned and spoke to Luis about the situation with the boat, i.e being stuck in the yard, work not being done quick enough, cost of flat and boatyard storing mounting etc, Luis is going to go and speak to Pedro tomorrow, l’m just hoping the wood engine mount bases have been finished and fiberglassed in. Situation not improving here with the virus, hospitals in central Portugal reported at 94% ward occupancy, Nick been getting more and more worried day by day of getting the virus.
Mon 25th Jan 2021 Cascais
Callum’s 7th birthday. Bought him treasure x pirate ship, Kirstin phoned in the afternoon, then video called later so l could see the kids. Got very stressed today because we don’t know what’s happening with the boat, or if anything is being done, Pedro and Joao won’t answer there phones, and it’s took 10 days to make two pieces of wood! He eventually got Joao who said he was coming to the boat today, but then cancelled, Pedro said he was coming tomorrow.
Tues 26th Jan 2021 Cascais
Nick went the boat in morning, engine base wood finished, Joao away to get metal plates made for wood, and supposed to be back at the boat today to bolt them on. Nick told engine bases will be fiberglassed in today, or tomorrow. Nick did some shopping.
Wed 27th Jan 2021 Cascais
Nick went to Auchan twice, cause he forgot the bread yesterday, then never got wine. Work is proceeding on the boat, slowly, engine beds still being worked on. Vape products due to arrive at Adam and Sarah’s today. Virus situation here still getting worse. Death toleltoday was 291.
Thurs 28th Jan 2021 Cascais
Didn’t sleep well (yet again!). Luis phoned, said engine supports being glassed in today. Nick phoned Sarah, vape products arrived yesterday and they’re going to post them today, just hoping they arrive.
Fri 29th Jan 2021 Cascais
Pedro finishing the engine mounts today, finishing the top coat (jelcoat). Joao coming on Mon, hopefully to finally re-install the engine on the mounts, and connect everything up. Portugal tightens lock down as deaths reach record highs, hires foreign medics, ambulances queuing up at hospitals, three patients flown to Madeira, 303 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Sat 30th Jan 2021 Cascais
Went for a walk, got stopped by the Portuguese police, apparently there is again a curfew on this weekend, and we knew nothing about it.
Sun 31st Jan 2021 Cascais
Couldn’t get to sleep again last night, still awake at 3.30. Another disaster has be fallen us, yet again! Nick went to check the new engine mounts were drying, they are not. I feel like crying, feel like this nightmare is never going to end, and worried l’m not going to be able to cope anymore, was in tears. Nick contacted Joao to let him know, he will assess the situation tomorrow. We don’t know if it’s just the gel (top) coat Pedro has messed up, or if it’s also the fiberglass, Joao is going to check it, he doesn’t trust Pedro anymore either. The head came off Nick’s mole he has been worrying about for months. He sent a photo of it to Luisa, who then sent it to her Mum who is a skin specialist, who is certain it’s non malignant, said to clean with Betidine, and take a photo of it when it’s healed up, and send it to her. Treated ourselves to an Indian carry out to cheer us up.