The time flies by when you drop the anchor at a place for a few weeks.  As well the lightning damage, the port water pump and alternator needed replacing.  While replacing those I found that the port engine mount was cracked (in the same way as the starboard one had been) so that had to be removed and welded. 

 

Meanwhile Andrea took on the mammoth task of servicing all 10 winches, which involved stripping them down and then cleaning, oiling and greasing them.  In some of them the spindles were seized up and it would take hours to coax the pieces apart.  All together a full week’s work.

 

Fortunately she discovered that the Spanish Water anchorage has a good snorkelling beach, within walking distance of the dinghy dock, so she could still get a swim in the evenings.

 

The life of a cruiser is hard...

 

...although we can take the occasional day off to discuss golf with the locals...

 

...or visit the slave museum in Willemstad.

 

The brightly coloured Peacock Flounder..

 

..is a master of disguise.  How do they match the background so exactly?

 

The octopus is plain grey when swimming...

 

...but can hide nearly as well as the flounder.

 

The east coast of Curacao is pounded by the sea and has many blow holes