Monday 11 May 2020

Changing RO element and pre-filters in watermaker is very easy. That's why it
only took five hours. As with any boat project when once involved (usually too
far in to close up and ignore) one finds that other areas require mending or a
part is broken in process. In this case it was the full gamut. Hoses were
brittle or leaking with clamps rusty and ready to break. As one may assume
these were in the most inaccessible spots. Spare hose was available, but having
been used to flush gunk from AC cooling system was filthy requiring thorough
reaming. After replacement and reassembly bottom of membrane housing was
leaking where a plastic plug had cracked (I did not do this, honest... you
believe me don't you?). Jury rig (after de-mounting for access) was to drill
and tap a quarter inch screw to plug the plug. Oddly enough this worked.
Unable to unscrew pre-filter housing in awkward location, had to remove entire
assembly which required removing hoses from barbs with heat gun without melting
nearby plastic. All back together just in time for happy hour.

That was pretty boring and uninteresting, but took up a large portion of
yesterday so wanted to spread the suffering around. Jack's the name;
schadenfreude's the game. Anyway it's working at present and no one is going to
peek at the thing again for a long time. No sense asking for trouble.

After spending a week at USPS transfer facility in Jacksonville last package has
yet to arrive at marina. Amazon is sorry it's late, very sorry, but promises
product will be replaced or cost refunded after 27th if not delivered by then,
two and a half weeks late. We'll undoubtedly be gone. May it arrive soon or
not at all.

Wednesday

Weather not looking especially peachy for heading out end of week. Nevertheless
we go for final provisioning today with good mate Dustin, also leaving soon.
Anyway Tim's bocce court is virtually done with a tournament set for Saturday
and it would be rude to leave before that. Then, of course, Sunday will require
recovery. Maybe depart Monday if weather looks OK.

Planning to evacuate marina tomorrow if card has sufficient credit left to pay
for the dubious honor of staying here. Awning is down, nearly everything on
deck is prepared and cabin is tidy (more or less). Hiccup of Victron that had
us without charging for a day has been remedied and everything of importance is
working - he said as usual with unequivocal certitude. This is either
occasionally true, a self fulfilling prophesy, a re-definition of "importance"
or an inducement to ignore anything that doesn't work.

Tentative plan is to sail from here across north side of Turks & Caicos and
Aklins/Crooked Islands, through Exuma Sound and Northeast Providence Channel
then across Gulf Stream to St. Augustine. This is about twelve hundred NM so
should take about nine days if weather doesn't induce us to surreptitiously pull
into someplace for a wee rest. If psychological tranquility depends upon this
actually happening as proposed, one has only oneself to blame.

Jack & Jan