Interlude - The mystery of the missing flags

When one is a sailing vessel in foreign waters one is expected to fly the flag of one’s own country and also the flag of the host country.  These are called courtesy flags and Alan had climbed up the mast to attach a special pulley and line so that our flags could be raised when appropriate.  I had been collecting flags for the countries that we expect to visit for several months.  They are not cheep, costing as much as $30 each.  I had been searching the internet and checking the shelves at various marine stores while waiting for Alan to complete his next extravagant purchase and had amassed a good supply, although not all of the South Pacific islands. They were kicking around the boat in plastic bags.   During one of the last frantic organizing spells, I finally found the perfect container for them.  I folded them neatly, all labeled with the name of the country visible and put them ....?    Where? That is the question.  We both remember me saying “I’ll pt them here with the ... for now, but that is not their real place”  Trouble is, we cannot remember where I put them.

Sailing down the coast during the Baja HaHa there were a couple of discussions on the radio about flag educate.  Apparently one is to hoist the yellow quarantine flag until cleared by customs and from then on fly the country flag.  So when we finally completed all of the paperwork at Cabo on Monday we were ready to get out our Mexican flag and hoist it.  Except that we could not find it.  Sure that the box would turn up, we went on about our business.  The next time we had a free minute we looked again for the flags.  No where to be found.  Where had I stuffed them?   All the obvious places were searched, many of then several times on the theory that they must be someplace.  This gradually became a huge issue.  One by one nooks and crannies were emptied and repacked.  Not only can I not remember where I put them but I also cannot visualize the container I used.  This is starting to get personal.  I am the queen of organizing.  That is what I do; clean up and organize and know where everything is. and how to find it.    A long career as a librarian, remember.  It has been over a week since we cleared customs in Cabo and tomorrow we have to clear in La Paz.  Several storage spaces have been completely emptied and repacked and still no flags.  Not in the medicine cabinet.  Not in with the beef jerky.  Not with the wine or the books.  Not in the junk pile behind the head (also called “future projects”).  Not even in the engine room or with the cookie stash or in with my underwear.

Tuesday I pack to go home.  If they are not found by then, Alan is to go to the tourist shops downtown and buy a cheap mexican flag and hoist it.  Maybe, as he eats his way through all the stored food over the next 2 months without me, it will turn up.  If not, I guess we will just have to buy a new one every time we get to a new country.