The time has come to raise the mast. Kiyuna san and I set off with great purpose.
I experience pain in my left calf. I ignore it for a bit until to my great surprise, I can no longer walk!
We were just strolling along with a not heavy mast but I have done myself damage. “Dai jo bu, Neil san I will call Wantanabe san.” 5 mins later he turns up – he is another wonderful Okinawan boat personality. He lived out of a van for 7 years but last year graduated to a live-in boat that is moored in the Itoman Fishing Port. He is currently restoring a beautiful 40ft ketch which went down in the same typhoon that did so much harm to my boat. Kiyuna san refers to it as ‘The Underwater Boat.’
I am out of the game. Kiyuna san, Wantanabe san and Jigen san take over.
We hit a road block. The eye splice on one of the halyards makes the rope thicker and it will not go through an essential block. We need a bigger block. I am all set to go down to Island Boat https://www.island-boat.com/index.php to buy a bigger and probably very expensive block. My friends have other ideas and wander around various boats looking to pirate a suitable block. I am not sure what is going on but I think one or the other was working on these boat and borrowing seemed quite in order. Wantanabe san finds the perfect block!
Jigrn san has to leave so we agree to meet next morning to finish the job.
Incredible! All the rigging is done. I did nothing except get sunburnt in January. The boat boys of the marina rallied round as I lay on my stretcher. What wonderful people.
The following day, not having much on, I have a colonoscopy.
The usual intensive intestinal cleansing ritual prior to the intervention.
This is my third colonoscopy, all in Okinawa. https://thequietripple.com/2016/06/03/nobody-has-ever-done-this/ I find the whole thing fascinating. I watch the screen and point out polyps to Zakimi sansei, who is nominally in charge. 4 polyps! Not a bad score.
The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond 
No heavy thing lifting either😱
Ha!
That eagle looks great way up there. Wonder what you did to cause the calf pain? Lucky you have all those boat freaks around the place.
More polyps! How many have you disposed of so far over your three visits? Still getting a DVD of the examination? Enjoy the weather – here we’re coming out of the cold and it was only -4C last night. We’re promised to be up to 12C by day and 9C by night on Tuesday but I suspect that we’ll be heading down again thereafter.
Calf pain is a mystery but it turns out there is a sports injury Clinic just across the road. Arisa has booked an appointment for me today so we shall see. I think it is 11 polyps since I started this new hobby. I didn’t take pictures this time but they will probably give me some when I go back for the results. The people in the Marina are all sweet. I realize that in all my time in Okinawa I have not come across a tough guy, hardman type. Even dockers are very gentle. Stay warm.