"It's dead," Jim uttered after failing to coax our microwave back to life. We had returned thirsty and hungry for a snack after paddling in Pittwater and hiking up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse and wanted nothing more than a cold beer and some parmesan and rosemary popcorn while relaxing in the cockpit.

Instead, I went online to find a replacement. The space in Tenaya's galley for our dearly departed little Electrolux was pretty small meaning the replacement had to be equally compact. After hours of searching, I found that LG made a model that would fit into the space with a little modification, but it had been discontinued and the stores were out of stock. GumTree came to the rescue. A student in the Sydney CBD was selling one for $35.

So yesterday Jim and I walked into Avalon and bought a bus pass. Today we paddled 20 minutes to the marina, walked ½ hour to the bus stop, took the 1 ¼ hour bus ride into the center of Sydney and caught a cab in a torrential downpour. For $40 he waited for us to collect our prize and returned us to the bus stop. As today is Saturday, the L90 bus to the northern beaches was packed but I scored a seat next to a man who seemed less than thrilled to have me and the rain-protected microwave plop down next to him.

With a little remodeling and a lot of patience Jim bolted the new microwave in place. It works like a charm and the popcorn tasted ever so good.