Tuesday 10 July 2018

Part for water heater can't arrive in less than a week and a half - Fedex or UPS (FedUp?). DHL is much better and faster for international, but Isotherm doesn't use them. Bah humbug. Of course, even they may not be sufficient for the back of nowhere and once shipments arrive in Australia they seem to disappear for a week no matter what. Mick's Ally Fab is go-to backup to make hot water possible. Should be ready this week. Barring an asteroid making the planet uninhabitable or something more serious, we leave next Wednesday.

With air moving through boat it was actually cool last night. The imperial 'we' are pleased. This year's weather doesn't suck nearly as much as last, especially out on the hook. Enjoying seductive comfort at noon we have yet to leave anchor for systems checks.

In a marina with masts all about, SSB (long-range, HF radio with which we receive email and weather on passage) often has difficulty with reception. Unfortunately, have been unable to make connection in the bay either. Troubleshooting will transpire over next week. As sole means of communication, if efforts not rewarded, we may be out of contact until at least Cocos Keeling which is even closer to the end of the earth than Darwin, but may have internet.

Jack