April 14 2012 - This blogs is now continued at http://svnovavida.wordpress.com/

The back cabin was finally finished after several goes, the engine is overhauled, the refrigeration fixed and some varnishing and painting completed. It is now a push to get the saloon done by April. Chinese New year will see January out.

The work has to been slow but Langkawi makes the waiting easier. Christmas saw us in Vietnam- - a great place. April should see us heading for Darwin for the dry.

The carpenter left saying he had finished the back cabin but of course he hasn't. Its nearly there but he will be back. His welcome, when he returns, will be the bunks in the peak. Everything has been pulled out in anticipation. Things can be done here, it just takes time. I only hope the bonus I paid him makes him feel really guilty.

The engine parts from Australia should be here anyday. After this is fixed there is only an endless number of other small tasks to finish.

The mystery of engine start in Port Dickson about 18 months ago seems to be solved. While back in Australia someone noticed the motor idling and the boat filled with smoke. they turned off the motor but it had been idling for several hours without cooling. The sea cock was closed.

It was always presumed that someone had entered the boat, started it for fun but could not stop it. Pretty logical - yes - but not true.

Just after returning to Langkawi I turned the engine start switch on and tested the ignition . All seemed OK. I didn't turn the main engine start switch off.

A couple of night later in the early morning I woke with a fright. The motor was trying to start itself. I flew over to the main switch and tuned it off. Really weird

It seemed that we had got away with little damage from the Port Dickson incident - alas not so. We motored most of the way from Port Dickson to Langkawi without a problem but more than a year idle found the fault.

The boat now has one carpenter still in the aft cabin and three mechanics pulling the head of the motor.

Now, the boat needs a lot of work. With the hard working man from Eastbay Teakdecks sweating in the aft cabin, the front of the boat stacked with gear and the saloon covered by a dense layer of mess, what to do?

There is one little space that does need attention but it seemed to me a Pandoras box full of mystery to be approached with caution. The shower/toilet on Nova Vida, as with most Duncansons around this size is definitely mean.

The start was pretty easy but as the exploration progressed one thing led to another. The hand basin came out, old mirrors removed, some old tiling removed, old paint and sealing material removed. This left the loo. Its out too. So much work - such a little room.

Well, there has now been time to adjust to being aboard again even if it is on dry land in a crowded yard with a tin shower cubicle over a drain and a toilet three hundred metres away (found a closer one).

Mothballs were scattered through the boat more than a year ago. This seems to have stopped the geckoes and there are no cockroaches. They came aboard in Indonesia. The boat was moldy but this is easy to take care of with vinegar.

The high humidity accelerated the de-lamination of a 30 year old fit out, so the aft cabin is being refurbished by Eastbay Teakdecks Enterprise.

The portable Engle Fridge died, and the new, 18 months ,ago vacuum cleaner died.

The cheap vinyl dinghy from BCF in Darwin died before we got to Langkawi. Never buy a vinyl dinghy. Maybe Zodiac can do them but that needs research.

Exploratory surgery on the outboard motor revealed that it was dead but it did not know it. The fuel system was cleaned out and I finally located the source of a fuel leak that people in Darwin charged me not to fix. The fuel tank had a crack.

Then the miracle. Ryan, son of the owner of B&V Marine suggested I see a Chinese motor cycle shop in Kuah. And there it was hanging on the wall; a new fuel tank. He even gave me a discount.

I celebrated with Chinese steam-bread and pork and coffee.

The deck fittings and hatches are being aggressively resealed.

Things still to explore include the motor and electrical system.

Hopefully 5 more days of carpentry chaos. Luckily the scooter allows escape.