 New Navigation Lights |
Our minds were being applied to finding a weather window for the trip back across the North Sea. A weather forecast came in: Force 5s from the north west for the next few days. We would depart from Ijmuiden, but rather than spend days waiting in Ijmuiden with nothing much to see or do, we opted for biding our time in Amsterdam; Ijmuiden is only a 4-hour journey away.
By the time we had finished breakfast, the rain had almost gone to new drenching grounds, so I concentrated my mind on installing the newly bought navigational light. Rex scoured the boat to produce a drill, drill bits, and a motley collection of nuts and bolts. I worked out a plan of attack, and in less than an hour we had a newly installed working set of navigation lights.
This was followed by a quick check on the autopilot repair; all fully functional there. While we were at it we performed an engine oil check. For some unknown reason this had dropped well down, and need to be rectified immediately. We had given the old ship a tough time over the last week, so perhaps that was the cause. Topping up an engine below decks is no easy task, and involved two funnels. Over a series of iterations we reached a point where we were satisfied with the engine oil level. For good measure, Rex checked the gear-box oil, water level, fuel level and a couple of other levels. I thought I caught him checking the cash level in his wallet too.
A cold wind swept the marina, grey clouds scudded overhead. The elements dictated this to be a rest day. Rain was also forecast for the evening, so we decided not to venture into the city.
We got chatting with an elderly chap on the boat next to us. He had dual nationality: American and British. He hailed from Rhode Island, and was introduced to Holland by a military man in 1982, and had been here ever since.
"There is the 90-day rule that you have to obey," he stated. "Then I sail out of Ijmuiden to a buoy 12.5 miles out to sea, so I'm effectively out of the country, take a photograph of the buoy, and return. It works every time," he laughed. This was followed by a hacking cough that didn't sound too healthy. He then poured himself an ample measure of American whiskey for medicinal purposes I presumed.
 Beet Tartare |
In the evening we walked to the nearby Loetje restaurant in the marina. We were waited on by a young lad who was in his second year as a law student. Serving the wrong dishes to us didn't do his street cred much good. My starter, beet tartare, was excellent, as was Rex's starter. However, our main courses were a disappointment. My chicken and bacon salad consisted of rashers of streaky bacon and chicken pieces overloaded with oil. Rex tried to negotiate his lamb's liver swimming in oil. Perhaps this was the reason why our engine oil level had dropped. Maybe the excess oil might resolve Rex's problems. Hmmm…
Rex rang Meryl during our galavant. He caught her as she was walking down the garden with drinks for her friend. They were being bathed by beautiful sunshine with 23 degrees in Tollesbury. We, in turn, were basking in a glorious 14 degrees, accompanied by wind and rain. Weren't we the lucky ones?