The weather changed after 8 days of hot nice summer weather. A thunderstorm came through in the late afternoon. But then the nasty strong Easterly started blowing. And I got very little sleep. The way I am parked I got the full brunt of about 30 mile winds straight off the Danube. I am attached to the back of the pontoon and right against one of the steel wire ropes that holds it to the shore. The wind is so strong that it pushes the boat hard against the steel wire rope and on top of it. I had to get out several times and try to push the fenders back between the rope. But the waves would just lift the boat right against the rubbing wire rope. At day break I managed to get a 150 foot line to shore to try and take some of the pressure off and I rounded up a used tire that works better than the fenders.

The ocean is a piece of cake versus the physical abuse I have had in the locks, at anchor that one evening and this experience. “Fleetwood” is so beaten up by the Danube Destruction Derby that I most likely have to haul her out in Salina before continuing on to the Black Sea and Turkey. And I have no idea when I’ll be able to get out of Calafat. So, there is a good chance that I may need to winter the boat in Salina and that will change a lot of my plans.

I did not dare to leave the boat tis morning. Part of the spare part for the engine were sent today from Ireland. The rocker arm was to be sent from France as well, today.

I am mending from a cold. It started 5 days ago with a horrendous sore throat. But contrary to the usual sequence I did not have the many nights of coughing. Just one night. It probably is the healthy food and fruit I can get here at the market. All vine ripened tomatoes, grapes. peppers, etc. Lettuce and cucumbers are a rare find here.

Yesterday I cleaned off the black soot off the transom and washed the ensign where the white stars and stripes had turned grey. And did a little hand laundry. I had my last shower on September 1st in Budapest. None anywhere to be found since then. But I manage to stay clean with a bucket in the cockpit. I have to wait till dark, to avoid a spectacle, and work fast to compete with the mosquitos.