Today I tackeld a couple of projects we've been trying to get to. First, I installed a one line reefing system for the main sail. A reef in the sail basically means you are reducing the size or area of your mainsail. You do this in (hopefully before) periods of high winds to reduce the stress on the rig and to keep a balanced sail plan up. A one line system will allow me to place this reef in the sail from the safety of the cockpit instead of going forward to the mast in rough seas. Can't test it yet due to the high winds we're getting, but I'm pretty certain it went well.
The other biggie was changing the fuel/water seperator and the primary fuel filter. It was a first time evolution and it showed. I got diesel fuel everywhere! And this after Kristen had cleaned the cabin! We really need to communicate better. Anyone that knows diesels knows that allowing air into your fuel system is a no no. If it's there, you have to get it out by bleeding the system. If you are familiar with doing this, sounds easy. In my boat, it entailed hanging upside down, lying on my side, kneeling in a tiny compartment, and a few other unflattering positions. All the while trying to reach impossibly placed screws in order to let out miniscule amounts of air and massive amounts of fuel. In the end, I was victorious and smelly. The engine purrs like a kitten....well a thirty year old kitten.
Big Decision 08 was made today. In the interest of self preservation, we are taking the Okeechobee Waterway to the east coast. it will spit us out in Stuart, Fla for you Google Earth junkies.