November is a lovely month in Okinawa. It is cool and yet there are very beautiful days.

A couple of days ago

I set to, to give the Scaffie her yearly sprucing up.  Lots of sanding and laying on wood treater stuff. I wish I had taken a photo of the Scaffie after the recent typhoon. She was full of murky water and all her rigging was in total disarray. But I didn’t, so you will have no idea of how far I have come in her makeover.

Already well advanced. Water gone and first dabs of wood treater.

I work hard and with pleasure as the progress is obvious. What was a mess, is now less so.  I even sew up a small tear in the mainsail.

The seamstresses amongst may mock but I feel quite proud of myself.

Looking much better

One problem is  that one of the tires of the trailer has punctured. I jack the trailer up and loosen the nuts however the wheel refuses to come off. Aluminum, the wheel, and steel, that is the hub, form deep attachment if left unguarded. I bash it, kick it, lever it, karate it, curse it but to no avail. The wheel is solid on the hub such that I cannot take it to the gas station to have it fixed.

Ils ne passeront pas!

Youtube tells me to put back the wheel nuts, but not too tight tight and then zoom the trailer back and forth behind the mighty Xtrail with frequent abrupt stops such that the wheel is snapped off the hub. This seems like and excellent plan. Accordingly, I back the Xtrail up to the trailer so the I can link the trailer to the hook on the back of the truck. By the way, practicing Bokononism is punishable by death on “the hook.”

I need to lift the trailer, bearing the boat, onto the “the hook”. I get myself into very bad postures as I try to guide the trailer onto  “the hook” and feel strong pain in the back. This is it. I am  an old man. I have failed to attach the trailer to  “the hook.” My back cries out,

Am I a cripple, or will it be OK tomorrow?