We Have Been in Breskens 2 Days
We have been here in Breskens two days. Hotel Scaldis has been a bit warmer and dryer than the pipe berths onboard and the food and washing machine aren’t bad either. We got Rig 1 out yesterday and Rig 2 in today. Last night we were hosted at the local yacht club here by Jos van den Heuvel of Hall Spars and his team. They have done a fantastic job with our rigs and been great to work with. I visited their facility this morning and it was like a laboratory. Very clean, well insulated, dust free air system in the laminating shed, 38 meter autoclave.
Dinner was a bit of an affair as today there was the biggest race of the year in the area…250 boat racing from Breskens 40 miles up the river to Antwerp. As you would expect, there was a bit of drinking amongst the 1000 people packed into the yacht club. Most of our gang left around 2030 as sleep is as pleasurable as eating ice cream to us.
This morning when we arrived at the pearl, we noticed a new addition to the equipement on the yacht. The following email explains the efforts of some “wannabe pirates”;
From: Linda & Roeland Vroon [mailto:beamreach@zeelandnet.nl]
Sent: 01 October 2005 10:10
To: mail@cayardsailing.com
Subject: Act of piracy in Breskens
Importance: High
Dear Capt’n Paul Sparrow,
A grave act of piracy has been discovered in Breskens this morning.
Last night a gang of renegades has obducted the blow-up parrot form the flybridge of motoryacht “Pastime” and perched it on the com. bracket at the back of “the black pearl”.
You may understand the the owners wife is very attached to her parrot so we could not stand idly by and watch this crime go unpunished.
We were succesfull in defeating the culprits and liberate the poor animal. He will be “deflated” for quite some time.
The owner is on a bountyhunt in St. Tropez at the moment but he told me to hang the guilty when the sun is over the yardarm, so if you’re a couple short on your return to your Spain you know what happened.
Good luck with your Volvo campaign.
Capt’n Roeland Vroon
m/y “Pastime”
Breskens
This morning, Captain Vroon came down to the Pearl and met Freddy Loof and Nigel King and collected his blow up parrot….Unfortunately before we could get a picture of it. I have indeed checked into the “act”, and I am must report that none of my Pirates were responsible. As near as we can tell, this act was perpetrated by local Dutch Pirates. The locals must have felt that the Parrot would actually prefer to live onboard the Pearl. As Captain Vroon’s email indicates, the act was “in the spirit” and this humorous act was appreciated by all in the harbor.
My reply to Captain Vroon;
Captain Vroon, I must report that none of my Pirates were responsible for the relocation of your Parrot. I appreciate the tone of your email and will use it in my daily report. Please check it out on line at www.Cayardsailing.com
By the way, please feel free to come by for a visit of the Pearl. We may be able to find a bit of swag for you.
Captain Paul
I kind of like the idea of a Parrot… a real one though. I might take that onboard. Why have a yard dog? Everyone has one of those. Kimo, look into quarantine laws on the lap.
We are gearing up for our first sail with the new rig tonight and if all goes well we’ll head back to Sanxenxo tomorrow.
Captain Paul
OUT
