I decide to replace all the old rigging with new rope, halyards, topping lift, sheets and that sort of thing. I go to Yomitan to buy rope. For 7 years I have made  bizarre requests in sign language  at this hardware shop and the owner and I have become friends. He cuts me a great deal.

200 meters.

So, although rigging frenzy is very much on my mind, Kiyuna san and I huddle over bilge pumping.

My friend Natori san has contacted previous owners of the boat and they have all complained of  engine compartment flooding.  Rain here is ferocious rather than gently permanent as in the Western Highlands. A few hours of rain, during which there is no tarpaulin nor cockpit cover rigged, results in flooding of the engine compartment. Er, you guessed it, the engine compartment is where the engine lives,. You do not want your engine to be submerged.

We conspire to set up the ultimate solution.

Meet Gulper. She is a pump that Kiyuna san pulls out of his saddle bag. She is appropriately named.

Gulper is wired onto a switch so that, as soon as water creeps into the bilge, she blasts off.

I can sleep easy at night.

A short octopus diversion.

Back to rigging. I attach the jib to the roller rigging set up with the help of a couple of guys who were in the vicinity.

Jibbed

Loops at the ends of ropes are important..The classics loop at the end of a rope is the eye splice.

I cannot tie it

What is more, I need an eye splice with a thimble.

Thimble is the metal ring.

I start trying to do this by myself. Kiyuna san is horrified.

He says, “Miyagi san will tie the eye splice”. 2 minutes later, Miyagi san shows on a scooter.

These friends are eye splice experts

I love the Ginowan Marina.