Last Preparations For Launching
A Crane Or Not A Crane, That Is The Question

Photo: morning of lanching: tropical rain storm about to arrive (watch palm tree left and light grey horizontal rain line in the lake).
Time for a good nap but my bed is occupied

A heavy rainstorm passed us in the morning, soaking the 500 m pathway for the dhow to the lake. Nobody believed in a launching today. I went home to collect stuff for camping in my car. The phone rang: we need you here. Daniel decided to launch today. I hurried to get the last things done. Buy a cartridge of silicone kit for the outlets, find white caulking tape for the outlet screw threads. Borrow the jack from Benedict. And buy some more bolts, of course....Driving from the bolt shop a car managed to get behind me (I was driving backward hooting with hazard lights). That of course was because the man was in a hurry, but after he got a scratch he had all the time in the world. At great pains, and with the help of the shop keeper I convinced him to mount his car, unblock the street, which now was completely full with hooting cars, and go with me to police. There he agreed to go with me to the garage, quickly showing the workers the plate under the bonnet showing the number of his expensive metal grey. Then his garage quoted TSh 60 000/= (once I did I bigger surface for 20% of that in Jinja), and wanted TSh 60 000 for his personal damage. My final offer was TSh 80 000/=. He decided to register for a court case.
But I have to launch a 7 ton dhow, I told police. Can't we do this tomorrow.
You 'll have to cancel it, the policeman said in a way suggesting that if I would pay him, he may be could grant my request.
I put myself next to my man and whispered: now you will be in big, big trouble.
I phoned Gabriel about the delay.
Then, I stood. Waiting.
After ten minutes the police officer called me to tell my man had accepted my last offer of TSh 80 000/=, suggesting he deserved money for convincing him. He did not get it, simply because it was the last money in my pocket and my bank account was down to euro 92.71. For the rest I had 10 liters of fuel in my car, 2 in my motorcycle and TSh 15000/- airtime in my cell phone.
Sweating, I hurried back to the yard. There everybody was sitting relaxed. The cranes had not arrived.
We started fixing the under water outlets. My boys realized this job requires time and care. And Araldite glue, for which we had no money. No launching hence, until the Muzungu's money, one part wired more than two weeks ago, another speed wired five days ago, has arrived.

Wednesday No money. We prepare holes and planks for the under water in- and outlets, we work at stern beam for rudder attachment, we finishing the stern, we continue putting linseed. My boys think about how to launch. I try to understand them, but fail. I turn my pickup truck into a mini camper, leave the Isamilo house, leaving behind some boxes and move to MYC. I call Kees to tell him I am out, because I need to be with security near the dhow. To avoid irritation I do not mention the real reason: Isamilo has a power cut that will last a few weeks, so no power and no water, and sleeping with the idea Gerald can arrive drunk at night and smash again my door, which is now considerable weakened, is not comfortable.
Can Victor help me pick up those boxes? I ask Kees.
No he can't, he is busy.

Photo: the author operating a tool unknown to the shipyard workers: an electrical jigsaw (which is not overly eager to make curves in one inch mninga hardwood)
This is the under water toilet outlet (I would be quite content to shit overboard, I only make a toilet because I expect to host guests).

Thursday Money arrived. Fixing the underwater in and outlets with glue, tape and kit takes the entire day. The yard is visited by a tribunal summoning me to a hearing where claimant Kamkala Sinnautics Ltd. represented by Jane, will demand me to pay the cost of the hearing and leave the room. We buy more wood, I order the replacement of the rudder support stern beam which has full through cracks mended with screws. I show where my ship builders have forgotten the second hex screw of the rib joints. Nobody had seen it yet.

Friday We have wood to make floor, deck and rudder, but the saw mill's saw blade is broken, and suffers another power cut. Shire, who normally is there, is stil sleeping. We wake him up and I offer to take him to town to repair his saw blade and give him money for it on credit. Such agreed, saw repair opens in one hour. I make coffee. Are we going to sit?, I ask to my boys, who are just standing around to see how I make my coffee. Is there absolutely nothing we can do?
After 10 minutes Gabriel has an idea: we are going to do a reconnaissance of the road to the launching place.
To my amazement the road to a sandy beach with deep water is 1 km and very bad. Lots of trees.
I take Shire to the saw repair, and Daniel to his crane people for launching tomorrow, I call Kees about tribunal. Kees says he knows about it "indirectly", he can do nothing, a summons is a summons. Gabriel can already sleep on my deck (photo),

Photo: Gabriel can already sleep on my deck

Shire's saw is repaired, but the power does not return. I take all timbers for sawing to town.

Saturday The cranes are coming. Lifting of dhow

Photo: Daniels "cranes", after arrival called "trolleys"

On the next day, Daniel's "cranes" are coming. After arrival they start to be called "trolleys". They intend to work with two. Hence, I calculate, every trolly may carry up to 4 tons, every one of the worn out tyres 2 tons. And how to balance the dhow over the very bad clay road with deep trenches, which now turned out to be 1 km?
Absolutely impossible, I tell Daniel.
Dismayed, Daniel goes to Gabiel: hamminga says it is impossible.
Gabriel insists they can do it. Everybody comes to tell me they can do it.
Of course I do not believe it, but what else could I do than to give them a chance?
You, I tell Daniel, carry total responsibility for injuries and damage. I am only a spectator and nothing more.
Daniel agrees, apparently relieved the case is settled.