Raiatea: another view from the boatyard
Raiatea: another view from the boatyard
The beginning of 1942, saw Hitler and Nazi Germany at the height of their power. Imperial Japan would still have a few more months of victories. And, of historical note, I was seven weeks and a day old.
By the end of 1942, the war had turned, at Midway in the Pacific and Stalingrad in Europe.
It took great imagination, daring, and even courage to make a movie, a dark comedy, in early 1942 about the Gestapo trying to stamp out the resistance in Poland. The director, Ernst Lubitsch, did. The movie is TO BE OR NOT TO BE, the line from Hamlet, which is used in several different ways in the film, Jack Benny stars as a famous Polish actor; Carole Lombard in her final role--she was killed in a plane crash before the movie was released--is his actress wife; and a young Robert Stack is a Polish bomber pilot who wants to be her lover.
The film did not do well at the box office, but has come to be considered a classic.
I watched it last night and found it sometimes funny; sometimes too close to brutal truth; historically interesting, and well worth seeing.
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No one working in the yard, and I am locked in, which is all right.
Did a few minor chores. Pumped water from bilge and engine compartment. Emptied jerry can of water into main tank and solar shower bag. Cleaned ports. Removed some rust stains from galley sink strainer.
On deck I noticed first that the split pins have not been bent back on the replaced lower shroud turnbuckle. Then looked up and think they haven’t on the uppers as well. Perhaps the rigger intends to make final adjustments when THE HAWKE OF TUONELA is in the water, which is reasonable. Or perhaps he forgot. In any event it has to be done and won’t take more than a few minutes. Will bring it to Dominique's attention. Could do it myself if someone hauls me up the mast.
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Some of you may remember an earlier view from the boatyard, which can be found here.
This view is from Raiatea north toward Tahaa, only three miles away in the same lagoon. Bora-Bora is blocked by the white boat on the left.
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Assuming I do get back in the water tomorrow, I may not be able to connect to the Internet from the mooring.
I hope to be able to sometime during the next two weeks in Bora-Bora.
But it is possible at any time that the next post will not be until I reach New Zealand about mid-October.
If interested, keep checking back and I’ll post when I can.
Sunday, September 6, 2009