The morning stayed wet and drizzly confirming our choice to stay put. I did go out to mail some passport photos to the village of Naqara where I’d promised to make some up for one of the guys we’d met there. I also located the machine shop to make a plate to fit under the stair our sliding privacy door runs across. It has been awkwardly propped up with books for the last few weeks following my slip down the stairs which weakened the step. The cost of the metal was a bit of a shock but I needed the work done so I gave the go ahead as long as they could get the work done that day.
In the afternoon I filled the dinghy fuel tank and went to pick up the plate. My design was deliberately overkill as the cost and pain of fixing the wooden step, should it break, would be far greater than this fix. I needed to screw 30 screws in from under the step. Each screw would need a hole to be drilled from underneath. Without being able to remove the step this was looking to be a pain to do. I’d bumped into John from Sea Mist at the fuel counter. He didn’t have a tool that would help. On the way back with my new plate and screws I stopped by Leu Cat to see if they had any tools to help. They did were happy to lend the tool. I hadn’t held out much hope but it sure pays to ask.
Back on the boat I fixed the plate. Now the step feels firm and we can remove the books to protect it.
After returning the tool to Leu Cat we made arrangements with them and with the Sea Misters for a another last meal out together tonight.
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