This weekend marks a unique occurrence for Sheryl and I. We worked on two projects but completed none. Allow me to elaborate...

Project #1: Install new solar panels. The mechanical job of cutting tubing and constructing the frame for the solar panels on top of our bimini began on the July 4th holiday; however, we had one bar which had to be custom shaped to span the width of the bimini top. It took a nearby canvas shop a week to fit us into their busy schedule, but the product was spot-on. Sheryl and I spent the late morning and early afternoon on Saturday installing the new bar and cutting angle supports to complete the framework. By early afternoon, we had the solar panels in place. More importantly, they were out of our v-berth, so that we may sleep in our normal bed again.

Wiring for the solar panels will wait until we have the box for the control panel (somewhere on a FedEx truck at this very moment, I am sure). Therefore, after cleaning up from project #1, we initiated the next task.

Project #2: Install a separate (bypass) primary diesel filter system. This project actually began earlier in the week when Sheryl visited a local truck repair shop to pick up all the parts we need to assemble this system.

The purpose of this bypass system is to make our lives easier if the main primary diesel filter gets clogged. What we should be able to do is turn a couple of y-valves and use the secondary filter (leaving us with a functional engine and a filter change chore to be performed at a more convenient time and place). This is because the main reason a filter may become clogged is the mixing of crud from the bottom of the tank which takes place in rough seas (which is no place to be performing a filter change and bleeding the lines, I can assure you).

We started by laying out the hoses and deconstructing the current system. We made a few modifications to the hose lengths and figured out how to replace the hose end fittings which the truck repair shop had attached.

Before completing the plumbing project, we decided to hook up a hand pump to draw a sample of fuel from the tank. It came back dark. Very dark. The 16-oz water bottle which we had drawn the sample into looked like thick cola. Not good. After showing this sample to the owner of a nearby trawler on the dock, he indicated that it was not that bad, and that we should just, "burn it up in the engine."

Sheryl and I had other ideas. We woke the next morning, and had a good breakfast before getting down to work. We pumped about 15 gallons of diesel into our jerry cans and headed for AutoZone. Sheryl had called in advance to indicate that we would bring some diesel for recycling. Guy number one said, "No problem, just bring the cans around back." He showed us where to dump them and we began to pour. As I lifted the second can, guy number two inquired, "Where did you get so much oil?" When I responded that it was bad diesel from our sailboat, he responded, "What, is that gasoline?!? You can't pour gasoline in there!!" I calmly responded that it was diesel oil, not a flammable liquid. But the panicked look in his eyes told me to stop pouring. He said to guy number one, "We are so gonna get fined for this!" While guy number one indicated that he didn't see what the problem was. We didn't wait around for the outcome. We grabbed our one empty and two full jerry cans and muttered our apologies as we hopped in our car and took off. We certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of any fine-type resolutions.

Back at the marina, we re-filled our empty jerry can and borrowed an old gasoline can from a neighboring boater. With a few on-board empty water jugs, and a few newly purchased water jugs (from which we merely poured out the water), we managed to get down to the bottom of the tank, where the fuel got REALLY dark. We pulled up sediment with the last half-gallon, then proceeded to back-flush and pull another half-gallon of dark sediment. We repeated this process until the returned fuel looked more like the clear red-dyed fuel we know so well.

Now, granted, we don't assume that we got all of the 'gunk' at the bottom of our tank. That would require cutting access ports in our built-in fiberglass fuel tank (something we are just not ready to do). However, we do feel a bit better about knowing that we will start with clean fuel, add the appropriate measure of biocide, and run it through our primary filter system with the back-up bypass system should problems arise. Of course, that means that we need to finish plumbing that system.

By the way, our dockmate on the trawler took all but the final few 'cruddy' gallons of fuel and added them to his tanks. He has an onboard fuel polishing system and will process the fuel overnight to a clean and usable condition. Free diesel for him, disposal problem solved for us: that is best sort of recycling imaginable. Another marina-mate works at a small engine repair place and will take care of the final cruddy gallons, including his old gasoline can, now full of old diesel.

Did I mention that our hand-fuel pump requires 40 pumps per gallon? And that the day's activities involved a grand total of 33 gallons of diesel transfer? Therefore, before taking my sore shoulders to bed for the night, I want to indicate that the weekend was not ALL work. We did have several visitors aboard Prudence during the weekend. Ian and CaM, whom I met at the Raleigh Sail and Power Squadron classes I took several months ago stopped by on Saturday around noontime while out kayaking in New Bern. It was their first time to see the boat, and we talked about their dreams of cruising to the Bahamas on their own Irwin 37.

On Sunday, perfectly timed to when we had washed off all the diesel from ourselves and the boat, Stefan and Marita stopped by for a visit on their way back to Raleigh from Whortonsville. It is always great to visit with them, and the rapid-fire conversation was all too short. But Monday morning work calls to each of us.

So my parting words to you are this... We are always 'busy' here aboard Prudence but never too busy to drop what we are doing to chat with friends. So if you are reading this, and you haven't stopped by to say hello, please don't hesitate. Drop-ins are always welcome, especially if you don't mind a couple of sweaty diesel-soaked hosts.

Have a great week, dear Reader!