Somehow this Friday was not probably our day. It was also Friday the 13! But so far in our life this date has still been no cause for alarm. The next Friday 13. werden wir sicher etwas skeptischer entgegen treten 🙂

It started right after breakfast, though the radiant sunshine a good start to the day promised.

We still expect a package from Germany. Our passports with US visas and some little things have been around for almost two weeks on the way to us. Since Monday the package at customs stuck. Today then was finally time, to take the whole thing more closely. In order to perform such calls, reichte unser Spanisch aber ganz sicher nicht aus 🙂 So war ich froh, dass das ARC-Büro mir Unterstützung angeboten hatte 🙂 So dauerte es nur eine geschlagene Stunde um herauszufinden, that our package is on the way to us though, but you could not say exactly, where it was and certainly not, when it would arrive here. But the probability is very high, that would land it in Gran Canaria before the start of the ARC. Those were wonderful prospects, da brauchte ich mir ja keine Sorgen machen 🙂 Und wozu brauchen wir auch schon Reisepässe 🙂

Back on the CESARINA I met Dietmar in very dark mood. How actually every day he had telephoned with North Sails, to clarify the exact date of arrival of our new sailing. We had received a firm commitment from the beginning of the week, that they had been sent from England on Monday and waited eagerly for the tracking number. Imports of goods to the Canaries is quite special and complicated, as had some of the customs in advance to be clarified. So far we had but North Sails nor can report no tracking number. The reasons were not understandable for us and it crept over the days feel uneasy a. Today we wanted to finally know the truth. So Dietmar starting a true phone attack both in Belgium at the sales office as well as in England at the production site.

At about three clock in the afternoon then was made final: There was no sailing for our CESARINA. The manufacturing plant in England had never received a production order. Alle Telefonate und alle bis heute erhaltenen Informationen waren Schall und Rauch 🙁 nur leere Worte und Lügen.

What should we say, We were totally floored. Due to a recommendation we decided, to order not in Jan-sailing in Germany. Now we are left without a sail. The old sailing we had brought to the sailmaker on Wednesday, damit dieser sie entsorgen sollte 🙂 Was nun? Rowing is truly no alternative.

So we introduced our next way to the sailmaker. Perhaps the disaster was indeed to prevent yet. And Lo and behold, the owner told us relaxed, that they would always dispose sailing only, if the boat had left the port with new sails. A very clever approach, the evidence of a lot of experience. Since we are probably not the first, must make such experiences.

But the day had yet another terrible news ready for us. Late afternoon found himself “Jerry, The Rigger” with us aboard one ordered for Riggcheck.

With his assistant, they took everything very closely examined and unfortunately they were successful: a crack in the mast, directly at the level of first Sailing. With which we can not sail. That needs to be fixed first. This will certainly be a scarce number, until the start of the ARC next Sunday. The ship has to be repaired from the water, and then maybe even the mast be drawn. So this is nothing with a relaxed last week in Gran Canaria. In my mind I stressed before the island tour, I would like to still have companies. Maybe then the next time…..

Our mood had now reached the nadir. Kerstin and Thomas from Munich, who today paid us a visit on a holiday afternoon, sat pretty scared in the middle of chaos. That would probably no longer be with the planned nice evening together, while the afternoon but had started quite promising.

So they decided to, better to leave us this evening alone. Much was also really no more to do with us.

We both had once digest. Now participation in the ARC is suddenly on shaky legs, quite apart from all the work and stress, who would come to us. We also had definitely once the noses painted full. After a big dose of Tortellini (Noodles do just happy) I retreated with a good book to bed. Dietmar tried to the ARC opening party distract something, but he was definitely not in a celebratory mood. Shortly before eleven he was back.

After a restless night with many confused dreams and thoughts of a shock followed in the morning. At about eight we received the news of the attacks in Paris. Very quickly moved the crack in the mast in the background. So we both sat silent and stunned at breakfast. Again Paris it had met, a town in the heart of Europe. Our deepest sympathies go to the families of the victims and many injured. Our problems appeared to us in the face of such a tragedy suddenly small and unimportant. That could certainly take care of everything, because there were only just yet “Luxury Problems”.