...... and a good thing, too. We were aboard last night working on some inside tasks as the weather outside was quite the downpour when we noticed that there was a disturbing amount of water in the aft cabin and that it seemed to be coming from the portside bulkhead well above the water line. Just to be sure I gave it a little taste and as it was fresh water I was pretty sure that there wasn’t any hull leak letting in the Atlantic. Then I noticed that there was a constant sound of water running and it came from behind the bulkhead. “Aw crap!”, says I along with a few more colourful words. I had visions of the toe-rail or chain-plate beddings deteriorating and letting the water in. Nothing for it but I had to take down the bulkhead which we did, fortunately from the top down as we quickly discovered that the deck drainpipe hose had come detached from the deck fitting and the water was just collecting on the deck and running down into the cabin between the hull and the bulkhead. Fortunately this was an easy fix and now the job is to dry out all the wood in the cabin. First nice day then the skylight hatch will be opened with an electric heater running at full tilt for the day below decks.

I have one small thing to do to the anchor windlass before re-installing her and wouldn’t cha know it, getting the part is turning out to be a wee bit of a challenge. I want to put those rubber boots over the three terminals on the electric motor to minimize corrosion and to eliminate the possibility that there could be an arc between the terminals but no one seems to have any in town. I even went to the automotive shop locally to see if they could get them from their warehouse but no dice. The only place that I know of that has them is at the ship chandlery, the Binnacle, in Halifax. I am going in there on Thursday so we can get them then but I would really have liked to have the thing finished before that. (Sigh!) I could cover the terminals with heat shrink, but that is kind of a haphazard way of doing it so I would rather not and it is only a couple more days. (Double Sigh!!)

The rain should stop this afternoon and we should be able to get at a couple more of the jobs in each evening. I had hoped that Saturday would be another weekend day for boat chores but it looks like they are calling for 50 mm of rain. (Triple Sigh!!!) Still, there are the week evenings and Sunday.

The French schooner Schooner Rara Avis
that was in port over the last few days left this morning for a leisurely trip to Halifax where the crew will partially swap out. It was fun to practice my French language skills again and even more enjoyable to help them out with drives to supermarkets etc. The ship was dry, unfortunately, so I didn’t even have a sniff of French wine or anything but still it was nice to be of assistance. If anyone is reading this in Port Mouton, Lunenburg Halifax at the Museum of the Atlantic dock and they do take visitors if you ask, particularly if you ask in French.