Today was spent running around getting some last minute stuff sorted out. Our handheld radio charger packed up for no apparent reason and we took it in to be checked out at IMTECH - both the charger and battery tested faulty. After driving to several gas refilling companies, we had our 2 x 9 Kg. gas bottles filled at AFROX in Paarden Island. We are now have 3 x 9 Kg full gas bottles on board and should be sorted for at least 6 months or so. We stopped at the dive shop to fit my ScubaPro Eqauter 2 BC which finally arrived. It fitted like a charm and I was impressed with the quality. Then it was off to BCanvas who was kind enough to make us a canvas cover for the stuff we will strap to the front deck - all done within 2 hours!
Next inline was the fishing shop where we bought split rings, lure bags and a couple of lures to catch squid. Joe was like a child in a toy shop, checking this, feeling and touching just about everything as we walked around in the well stocked shop - he had to severely restrain himself. Then probably visit No. 10,501 to the local boat equipment supplier to buy a couple of fitting for the dinghy, national flags for South Africa, St. Helena and Brazil. Typical of South Africa, the world flags we ordered almost 2 1/2 months ago, has been at customs Johannesburg now for more than a month! Thanks to the strikes at Customs and the Post Office, flags for more than 100 country flags will not reach it's destination in time. There is no chance in hell we will get it before we depart. Typical of the new South African standards, you can't speak to anybody because nobody ever answer their phones!
Then a visit to the hardware supplier where we bought some stainless steel grub screws and dome nuts for some of the fittings we have on board. After this, it was a long drive to Robitech in KuilsRiver where I bought myself a 1.0 meter spear gun and some spares. All of the small things took just about the whole day. Whilst running around doing all these small little things, all the while also talking to suppliers who need to complete outstanding work on Revelations. When we got back to the yacht, we found our new screetcher sail as manufactured by Ullmann Sails. This is a beast of a sail and will surely give us good speed in light winds. During the past week, Sue has been buying food and drink to provide 3 meals per day to 5 adults for the next 45 days. Revelations is now loaded to the maximum, every cupboard is overflowing with goods and there is hard;y space to fit a mouse.