Mike
05/28/2009, Marsh Harbour, Abaco

This is also the only traffic light we see in the Bahamas and it is the only traffic light on Abaco.

May 20th Marsh Harbour, Abacos

I made cheese grits and poached eggs for breakfast which really tasted good to me for some reason. The morning was stormy again but later is stopped raining and the sun came out occasionally. I made a water run which topped off our tank again. We will leave here the first time we have a half way decent day and I'd like to be full when that day arrives.

We had some leftovers for lunch and then packed up for a trip to town. After dumping our trash we walked over to the boating store and I picked up a spray container of rust remover that Steve likes. Then it was on to the grocery store for a few staples. On the way back we bought some beer and then I ran everything back to boat and unloaded. Meanwhile Kathy was going to walk down to Snapper's where we'd agreed to meet Steve and Kim. There have really good Bloody Mary's there so I ordered one and waited. Kathy should have arrived long before I did but there was no sign of her.

Steve showed up a little later to say that Kathy had walked back to the grocery with Kim for the exercise. They arrive a little later and we hung out there for a while before heading back to the boats to put things away.

Steve and Kim returned a little later and we ended up making stroganoff for dinner which we served with some broccoli.

Later we noticed that our refrigerator wasn't working. We've had this problem before a couple of times, and by moving a connection in the thermostat have always be able to get it cooling again. Tonight that wasn't going to be the case. I assume that the problem is in the thermostat, but will wait until morning to look into it.

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Mike
05/28/2009, Marsh Harbour, Abaco

May 19th Marsh Harbour, Abacos

It rained and blew hard three or four times during the night. I got up and checked things but all was well and I returned to bed. Chris Parker wasn't much help with the weather this morning, things are too dynamic and he couldn't really give much of a specific forecast. "Things are going to be messy for the next few days" was about the best he could muster.

We had some breakfast as "Fine Lion" headed for the fuel dock. We had talked about renting a car to explore the island today but when they returned, Kim called to say that it may be better to stay aboard today. We concurred. It was squally and the sky looked ugly. Steve called a little later to make a lunch date for 12:30 but when it rolled around, we passed.

Shortly after noon, with Steve and Kim at the burger shack, all hell broke loose as we expected. Wind was gusting to 50 knots and so much rain bouncing off the water and being picked up with the wind that there was a white fog... a mist blowing sideways. Visibility was down to feet. We could see the bow of Sapphire but that, and maybe that far again, but that was it....

We had some lightening and thunder but with the wind howling so loud we didn't really care. After about 4o minutes things abated to the point where we could finally eat our lunch in peace.

About that time Steve and Kim drove by returning from a very wet lunch.

It rained on and off during the afternoon. I took a nap and Kathy read in the cockpit. I killed most of the afternoon boiling a brisket and all the veggies for dinner. It was great.

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Mike
05/20/2009, Marsh Harbour, Abaco

May 18th... Marsh Harbour, Abacos

Happy Victoria Day to all our Canadian friends!

Steve came over as we were having coffee to talk about the weather. There are so many factors that it makes it difficult to figure out. There are two low pressure systems in the area that have yet to give any indication of where they're tracking. We can always find protection for east winds but if there is any west component, it can be difficult. Since we are safe here we decided to stay until this stuff blows away.

We made arrangements to have lunch and look into renting a car to drive around the island.

Our toilet has been leaking from the top of the pump handle and I have been meaning to look at it so I took it apart. After cleaning everything I removed the washer that is the cause and found that there was no fixing. The part in not simply a washer but is tapered and it's nothing that I can replace here.

I did add some new parts where needed and put things back together. Unfortunately, when I tested it, the pump wouldn't pump. I dawned on me that I had failed to replace a piece that seals one side of the diverter. When I looked in the cockpit for the missing part, it was not to be found.

I had been using a glass jar and some muriatic acid to clean bronze parts and a bucket to clean the plastic ones. I had checked the bucket for any leftover parts and Kathy had dumped it overboard.

At this point Steve and Kim stopped by to pick up us for lunch. I explained the problem and decided to stay to work the head. Steve and Kim said that they would check around town about where we might find a new head.

After panicking for a while, I set out to fabricate the missing part from a thin plastic cutting board. I had to make two pieces and doubled them to come up the right thickness but it looked like it would work. When I put everything back together... it didn't work.

I disassembled it again and made a few modifications before reassembly... still no luck. So apart it came again. At this point I decided that I had to really understand how the thing worked and after a few minutes decided that my new part needed a hole in the middle about the size of a dime. I didn't remember the lost part having a hole but, it couldn't work any other way so I added the hole, reassembled the toilet and it worked.

By this time it was 4:30 so I took a shower, made a G & T, and went over to "Fine Lion" to celebrate success. They invited us over for dinner so I returned to "Sapphire" to put together hors de oeuvres plate and returned to play a game of Rummy Cube which we had never played before. It was really quite fun.

We had a late dinner and then headed home for bed.

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