So they say, yachting is 1) sitting a cold shower tearing up hundred dollar bills and 2) fixing boats in exotic places. I was reminded of the latter by a reader of my blog...he basically said "if your bitching about it find a boat broker". Both sayings are true with me with the exception that the shower is warm. That's a consolation I will take....because there hasn't been too many during this shake down voyage after Ooroo's flirt with lightening.

I'm honestly not bitching. If I was I would sell the boat. I'm frustrated with the slow progress. I want to do some real sailing in a seaworthy boat. I have family coming and I want to take them places that will blow there mind...and mine.

We are three hours from returning to Turtle Cay after our short journey back to San Blas. We achieved some good. The wonderful Breeze and Debbie (Blue Sky) have done a great job with our Bimini and Window shades. Our boat and theirs floated but a hundred meters apart....they came and went, measured and designed....and produced. All in the wilds of San Blas. The job isn't finished so that will mean another trip to San Blas is in order of the coming weeks.

But first we must fix a a port engine with fuel injection issues and both the DC fridge unit and the engine driven unit. We burnt a starter motor in the starboard engine and discovered that the engine driven fridge compressor had seized to the point that it was restricting the starboard engines power. I sure it was the lightening. Oli called me a name I have never been called before. "Grease Monkey". Well I am becoming very familiar with the mechanics and I have spent many hours (as has Oli) covered in grease and curled up in the engine compartment. I call it "Yoga Mechanics" (thank Bryan at Yogi Vita, Mooloolaba). I have even started to understand the "destruction" manuals.

We have fixed connection issues with both the chart plotter and wind instruments. Stop Press... and we just pulled in a small Tuna.

And as a beside, the new rain catching hard top is doing its job and my mint plant hasn't died.

I don't think I have mentioned in pass blogs that one of the stink boats at Turtle rammed Ooroo's davits when I was in the US. No one owned up to it and the damage was a bend and twist in the solar panel supports and numerous punctures in my new dingy. Oli and I are having some issues fixing the leaks...there are many.

Last night I discovered all lights on the mast aren't working. We had fixed them all but during the process of running new cables we must have loosened something. It shouldn't be a hard fix.

I'm glad we caught a fish.

So while the starboard engines purrs we have full sails up and a gentle breeze. With the exception of the engine sound, this is why I sail. Ooroo is a fast boat, she wants, like me to be unshackled from the shore, visit the rarely visited and explore the uninhabited. Soon I will take her there.

PS Oli is now publishing his website www.thewindandtheway.com. All blogs plus maps, music, photos and more will be posted here.