12.01.09 – ATM antics

Yesterday the forestay was finally winched to the masthead and affixed. A sunstriking hour at the top of the mast left me ruddy, wet and dry.

And today I have been irritatingly forgetful. Perhaps I should start wearing one of those studded goth belts with chains and special hooks for glasses, keys, nouns, people’s names and all the other things which walk around without me.

 I spent 3 hours this morning running slowly in administrative treacle, to get prefectura clearance papers. The cost was 375 pesos, of which I only had 370. I was 30 cents Australian short. So I traipsed down to town to the first of Piri’s 2 ATMs. It has a 15 hombre queue. Well, imagine how I feel. So I walk 3 blocks to the town’s other ATM, which had 20 hombres waiting in hot sun. Fuck this I say. So I go back to the first one, whose queue has now grown to 35 hombres. I join the queue. I wait. And wait. And wait. Nearly there! then the bloke but one before me comes out announcing that the ATM has just gone muerte. So it is back to the other ATM, whose queue had shrunk, mercifully, to 20. 2 hours later I go back to the prefectura with my 5 pesos.

 I have returned to Tainui, sweaty and candidal, clutching my precious prefectura clearance. Now for a beer in the cockpit. It is cooler, a bit cloudy now, with a gentle warm breeze. Just lovely to sit.

 I am so happy to be on board again. Doing all the litle jobs I’ve been working through in my mind’s eye in ASH, Ampi, Sydney, over the last 6 months.

 We launch tomorrow at noon, and will sail 30 miles down Rio de la Plata to Punta del Este, to get the last bit of forestay. Then, who knows.

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