Seems like “chineseing” at the Hay’s place has become a weekend tradition for me. It is the second weekend in a row that I most unplanned and unprepared stay the Saturday and Sunday at their flat, without bringing even a toothbrush. Thanks to some great hospitality I have borrowed both various dental cleaning devices to bed sheets and matresses. Hjalmar is also a guest of theirs, although he lives here slightly less temporary than me, and we have spent this free Saturday in a most relaxed fashion.
Waking up very late, strolling a few blocks to get an English breakfeast at a local coffeshop, meeting up with Magnus (who now is working as a full-time cook in Öckerö) and scanning through the streets of Haga for things to shop. Later in the evening, Mathilda, Robert and Karin joined us in the small apartment in Majorna to watch “Mr. Deeds”.
The last week has been quite a ride. First knowing that the departure is due this Friday (yesterday, that is) and there were still quite a lot of essential systems not functioning, we had a bit of stress trying to get everything fixed up. I have now resumed struggling with the precious watermaker, nagging the manufacturer to fix some problems with the system. There seems to be no end of the problems we have had with this machine, but at the same time I have come a long way with the installation this week and I hope to finish it in the coming days.
That is, if I get some time to spare. I have been appointed to join a few other people from both the board and the team to present the fire analysis report for Elida V to the maritime authorities. Since we hope to leave this Friday we need to get the approval from the authorities to go to Holland for rigging. On Wednesday, we will depart for Norrköping to meet these bureaucrats, present the facts and what we have done in just the best way possible, and God willing they will let us leave when we want to. Stefan has had very much to do, coordinating with the authorities what still needs to be done on the ship and geting blueprints finished. I have been helping out with this, making blueprints of evacuation routes, fire reports and the electric system, to name a few.
You can feel it on the ship now, the spirit of progress. I like it when things just get fixed and happen, for instance we finally got gas springs on the hatches to the officer’s cabin, eliminating the risk for cutoff fingers or necks under the heavy doors. The stove is also installed, and Sergey, our magician, carpenter and metalworker, has made a well-designed and beautiful rig around the cooking area that both holds the stove in place, but keeps kettles and pots in place in rough seas. The LPG stove seems to be advanced and of high quality, so we will probably have no problems using it for really large camps on board. The fridges arrived this Friday as well. There are two fridges and the one freezer (both half-tall models) and are powered by 230V power (24V fridges are ridiculously expensive).
It is now late and Hjalmar asks me to go to bed, seems like my typing keeps him awake. Over and out.