November 1st, 2010

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Monday Nov 1 The rescue team is working overtime

Monday, November 1st, 2010

Just made a disappointing discovery. The possible haulout at Stentor in Oltenita, 80 k.m. away from here is a no go. The yard went out of business. That explains the difficulty in finding any info on the internet. So, I may need to find a tow to Galati, 400 kms down river.

—————————————— Earlier blog:

Early this morning we had a meeting in the Harbor Master office with the local river border police officers attending. And we are working on several options to try and get “Fleetwood” taken to a haul out yard. I am awaiting a reply to my e-mail to the Stentor yard in Sneek/Oltenita.

Yesterday, on the ferry boat back from Vishnov one of the two deckhands on the ferry knew about my rescue and tried to communicate. We engaged the help to translate of a Romanian lady who was crossing as well. Camelia, a math teacher, who was returning from a visit to Bulgaria with a group of Swedish teachers. I explained my predicament to Auril and he called in another passenger, he knew, a captain of a river barge. And he agreed to contact another skipper on his way from upriver with the “Acquarus” who might be able to tow me to Oltenita. Camelia offered to come this morning and explain the possible rescue plan to the people at the Capitania. Then she brought me back to her school and I am now trying to call Oltenita on Skype but all three numbers I have do not work and Stentor is not well represented on the internet. Their web site is down.

The generosity of these people continues to amaze me. Camelia has been a Florence Nightingale in my predicament. She is taken time out of her busy schedule. Auril, the ferry boat deckhand, motioned me into his galley after our four way conversation and sat me down behind a big bowl of bean, vegetable, ham stew and a glass of beer. And the men at the capitania and border patrol are also very involved in helping and finding a solution.