Betwixt

 After 30 years of living on our 5 acre plot in the country, our one bedroom apartment in Richards Bay is a change.  Our place is just over a small channel from the Zululand yacht club and boatyard.  I love the view of the marina.  So chilled.   Frantic packing and basically abandoning possessions and our home, we finally left Johannesburg to begin our new life arriving in RB at midnight.  This past week has been busy.  It feels a little like we are on holiday here, and I will want to go home soon.   Sailing lessons have kept us occupied.  Fortunate that a new sailing school has just started up here in RB saving us trips to Durban.  We need the certificates to sail our own boat when she is ready;  Day Skipper, Coastal, and Off-Shore.  Its a process  of learning the ropes and accumulating the specified nautical miles to qualify. Our beautiful Betwixt was just where we left her.  Work began immediately. The st...

 The complicated arrangements of moving boat to Richards Bay suddenly fell into place.  We were told by the transport company that the boat will be loaded on Wednesday, go back to their yard, and leave early Thursday to Richards Bay.  The off-loading at the boatyard was booked for 3pm Friday.  Sounded good.  Abnormal trucks can only drive during daylight hours and not on weekends.  We were planning on following the truck to keep an eye on our precious cargo the entire way. Day 1.   9am Crane arrived and much discussion followed on how the boat would be lifted into position.   10.30am  The low-bed truck arrived, taking down our gate post on entering.  The loading of the boat went very smoothly.  There were enough hands to simply carry the two masts and secure them to the truck bed.   12.30pm  Truck loaded and the driver announced that he was going to start driving to Richards Bay.  And so the chaos began...