What we learnt so far

Maybe I won’t stop writing, but I would like to mention a couple of things. When I met my Johan, 27 years ago I knew that he could change a light bulb, because in his financial number brain, who needs more? He replaced the circuit breaker and hopefully our solar panels can work to their full potential now! Anything that needs help on Catlyn he learnt to do, he learnt to study manuals and not to chuck them in a drawer. Even Johan jr are capable of changing sail drive oil etc on our Yanmar engines. When the alternator didn’t charge enough they tighten the belts and so the list goes on. And so the list goes on….
There is a couple of things on Catlyn that we won’t sail without. Of course our auto pilot, the radar, the Little Wonder water maker who keeps our drinking bottles full. Our gas braai keeps our menu enticing every time, so that we don’t miss our South-African braai too much. I won’t sail without the freezer and fridges, after meeting sailors who have to cope without. Johan will definitely not sail without the ice maker, but you have to test them. We tried five, and found this one from Game not using too much power, and throwing out thick ice cubes in a very short time.
We received these Automatic Emergency Lights ( set of two) from my brother and Anriette two years ago, and hardly a night goes by without us using them. They never stop working, they don’t need to be charged for a very long time. We are trying to discharge them now, keeping them on day and night now for 3 days, and they are still going brightly! You can find them at Cape Union Mart…great for the outdoors!
In the kitchen, the old jaffle pan for a lovely toasted sandwich, when you keep the stale bread in the fridge for as long as you can. And of course the wok to cook up a storm in a short time…
My little Sputnik for washing the tough towels every other day….and on second thought I will definitely consider a small washing machine next time.
And then I will not sail without my family and would have loved it to have the others close for a visit every now and then…