I've spent a hard fortnight working on the boat: it's so hot during the day (33+) that it's hard to sustain productive work. Unfortunately, I've had a lot of problems with the yard-work on the boat. My major project was to have the blue stripes on the side of the boat redone: when I planned it all with the yard via email at the end of last year, I made it abundantly clear that I only wanted the work done if I could have a Hallberg-Rassy approved paint, and gave them the detailed specification, which they agreed to follow. Sadly, when the top coats were sprayed, it was clear that the colour was not as specified, although I was assured on many occasions that they had used precisely the combination of colours recommended by HR. Finally, I asked the Manager, Mike Agnew, if he would personally check, and he came to see me extremely upset, to say that they had, unknown to him, in fact used a local paint, and he agreed that this was unacceptable (Mike has been entirely straight and honest throughout all this) We were unable to find the approved paint in the Pacific, and because this paint is regarded as a dangerous cargo, it is extremely expensive to air-freight out to us here in Fiji. Mike was prepared to fund this, but because it would have necessitated a special container,(which they had to flu up from South Sweden) it would have taken nearly 2 weeks to transport it, which would of course have affected Turid and Keir's holiday. So in the end we've agreed that they will complete all the paint work, but I won't pay for the blue. It's a real pain, because it will mean that I have to repaint it yet again when we get home.

Living on the boat on the hard has been a difficult existence: it means the heat is even more oppressive, as the whole of the boat gets heated, and it's also highly inconvenient, as it means clambering up about 18 feet altogether via two rickety ladders. Needless to say, I came a cropper the other day, and fell from the top rung of the ladder. I could have done myself serious damage, but in the event, miraculously bounced off the side of the trestling, and due to the heavy rain fell into an enormous puddle of thick mud, and was probably more at risk from drowning than from a broken neck! The only damage, apart from to my pride, was a grazed elbow, and an avulsed left little toe-nail - how that happened I simply have no idea. The other great problem of living on the hard is that I can't use the head. I cut the top off a two-litre Fanta bottle, and use that when I need a pee in the night. But I now have this recurring nightmare that I'll wake one night feeling thirsty and take a deep draught of Fanta...... Talking of bogs, I had a nasty experience a few days ago. I think I mentioned in a previous note that the problem of the loo ashore is the swarm of no-see-ums that crawl up your legs as you sit on the throne. (don't worry Mie, Turid and Keir, there's another on that is insect free) I went to the loo, fortunately needing only a pee, and when I lifted the seat found the most enormous hairy brown-yellow

spider lurking on the under side of the seat - I'm genuinely not exaggerating when I guess it was 5 inches in diameter I still shudder to think what it might have done to my nether regions!!!!

This weekend is Easter, and it's been really nice. On Thursday all the crews got together early in the morning with coloured eggs for the children, and yesterday we were woken at six by the choir from the local Methodist Church, who processed through the hotel (part of the marina complex), and then past all the boats, singing Easter Hymns. Most of them tunes well known to us, although of course they came with the Missionaries in the 19th Century. The wonderful unaccompanied singing will undoubtedly be one of my abiding memories of the South Pacific - they seem to have a natural ability to harmonise, and the result is spine-tingling and tear-jerking.

On Friday evenings the hotel has happy-hour all night with half price pizzas and drinks, so all the crews join up, and we have a trivia-quiz, a great opportunity to meet people and to get slightly sozzled . The winner of the quiz has to do it the following week, so I'm careful not to be too clever.

The current plan of campaign is that the yard will get more paint on Tuesday (the delay due to Easter), will apply the top-coat of the (wrong!) paint on Wednesday, and I will be launched on Thursday. ( Case, a Dutchman, launched his boat last Thursday, but had forgotten to put his forward-looking echo-sounder back in it's through-hull fitting. The boat was rapidly filling with water, but fortunately the slings were still in position, so they were able to lift him out and allow all the water to run out. If the transporter hadn't been in position he would undoubtedly have sunk. Must remember to check when I go in!) Launching on Thursday will give me a few days to sort out the engine, the generator and the water-maker, and then a frantic effort to get things tidy before Mie and the children arrive in the early hours of Monday morning. I've had a tremendous time here for the last three weeks, but I've decided I'm not really cut out for a bachelor existence, and really look forward to seeing the old bat again. And of course Turid Keir and the little ones.

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