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Larry's LogMonday we got up and listened to the local radio net and started work. While Diane went to change some money and get us checked in (using an agent), I put up the awning. Since it was so calm, I could do it myself. I put it up a little higher than usual so we could walk under it easier and I had to change the small lines on the side to accommodate that new height. I also had to adjust the dock lines again. That took almost all morning and Diane's errands took almost that long so when she got back, we relaxed a bit and then went to the mall to get haircuts and do some shopping. We were going to get a cab to the mall but one of the local vendors who recognized us picked us up and gave us a lift - very nice. We went to get lunch first; at McDonalds. Somehow, there was something comforting about a Big Mac and fries. Anyway, after lunch we got out haircuts (mine a little too short), I got on the Internet for a while to check email and some other little things and then we went to the supermarket. Since we were so low on almost everything, it was quite a load. We got back and got everything onto the boat; by that time it was almost 5. It was a busy day, probably the first of many. The next morning, and much of the afternoon, I was occupied by servicing the outboard. I changed the plugs, changed the gear oil, and cleaned inside the cowling and the exterior and applied grease at all the points shown in the manual. I also changed the external Racor fuel filter cartridge. Changing the oil made a mess so it took a while to clean that up but the engine looked good. We had put in our papers to get Venezuelan clearance but the guy who was supposed to do it came back and said there was a problem with the license agreement they had with the authorized agent they partnered with so we had to get someone else. Diane made some phone calls and did some hand laundry until we got the dinghy in the water and could bring it to the girl we used last time. She also did some things below. Since a friend told us that they had gotten a rat onboard, I took some soda bottles and made them into rat guards and put them on the lines going to the dock. Other people had done it also; we hadn't last time and had no problems but I certainly didn't want to have a rodent issue so it was cheap and easy insurance. I hosed off the cockpit again from the dirt from the outboard and then decided it was quitting time - just in time for a rum 'n' coke. Wednesday was busy with getting the dinghy ready. I took the cover off and found that the brown dust from the islands had really penetrated the fabric. The inside of the cover was discolored and the dinghy's fabric was also slightly brownish. We started cleaning the dinghy with a product called Roll-Off, which is basically a mild acid. People we know had used it on dinghies with no problem and although it took a couple of applications in some spots, it worked very well to get the stains out. We used the Roll-Off on the fabric and Simple Green on the fiberglass bottom - both were now clean. We then turned the dinghy over and did the top the same way, except for the slight rust stains on the transom where the stainless fittings had started to weep. The acidic Roll-Off did well there also. We hosed the boat off to make sure there was no residue and had a late lunch - it had taken us about 3 hours just to clean the inflatable. Part of the reason for that was the cramped space on the foredeck where we had to crawl around the sides to reach the entire boat. After lunch, Diane ran some more errands so I started applying the 303 Protectant on the dinghy's top. Even though the cover keeps most of the UV rays off, this stuff really helps keep it looking good as well as protects the hypalon from the sun. We didn't have much left unfortunately. Diane got back as I was finishing one side and after a short break, we flipped it over again and I used up the last of the 303 while Diane put wax on the fiberglass bottom. The wax seems to help prevent growth and makes the stuff that does grow easier to remove (we think, but it certainly doesn't hurt). By the time we finished with the dinghy, it was close to 4pm and so that was it for the day. The heat was pretty bad during the middle of the day but with the nice breeze blowing, it was very pleasant out in the late afternoon and mornings. We almost didn't need the air conditioner (almost). The next day we got our Venezuelan papers so we're legal (after actually being in Venezuelan waters for 2 weeks). I spent the morning flushing the watermaker while Diane cleaned the dinghy cover. She also did some more hand laundry. I did some odd jobs around the boat in the afternoon, mostly working on the broken running lights on the bow. Once I got the light off, I could see what happened - the negative wire had actually broken inside the insulation. The wire was so corroded that it just disintegrated. The bulb and fixture seemed fine so I tried extracting more wire from the hole in the bow pulpit. I managed to get about 5 inches more out by feeding some in from the side where it went in and banging on the pulpit itself to loosen the wire within the tubing. I cut more and more wire off the end until I got to fairly good copper. The fixture housing did have a small crack so I fixed that with some 'super' glue and will reassemble the light tomorrow. The next step would be to replace the wire inside the pulpit's tubing - a difficult job at best. The guy from Orient Canvas came by and we explained what we wanted to have done, repair the dinghy cover where it had ripped. He took the cover and said he would try to have it finished later in the day. We went over to see Janice and Weedie, from Plenum, to say hello and pick up some things they had brought back for us from Trinidad. After a drink on the boat, we all went to the marina restaurant and had a few drinks and decided to stay for dinner. Some food was good, some not so good, but the manager seemed to be trying to make it work - he was showing a movie on a big screen TV that night and although we didn't stay for it, a lot of cruisers were there. We had heard from Orient Canvas just before dinner but when we got back to the boat, there was no cover. Hopefully, we'll get it tomorrow. Friday was a busy day, first moving the boat to a spot further down the seawall. It was closer to the restaurant, pool and marina office. We also got our dinghy cover back from Orient Canvas. We got tied up in our new slip, got everything setup and put the dinghy cover on. That takes some time and after the cover is on, the fenders and rope mats go on. By the time that was all done, it was time for lunch, but after eating we finally put the dinghy in the water. We seemed to have gotten colds (I think this happened the last time we came into a marina also) so we just took it easy for some time. A bit later, we finally brought the laundry to the woman at CMO. Diane had done some hand laundry but it had really built up since we left. On our way back, we stopped at Midnight Stroller to let Gaby know what Jim (ex-Lady J) had said in his email for them. He invited us on board and we stayed for a little while. The boat was a 20-year old Trintella 55 and was beautiful. The next morning, I started getting ready for Elias to start varnishing again. That meant I had to get out all the supplies from under the v-berth and also take the cabinet doors off where we wanted him to begin. We decided on doing the 2 heads first, so I took the door off the forward head that we don't use except as storage, and put all my tools on the starboard side settee. I wasn't looking forward to living in a constant state of flux - which is what it would mean trying to finish the varnish while living aboard, but there were no storerooms available and the apartments were too expensive. I suppose we couldn't just leave the boat half finished - the companionway, cabin sole, locker doors and navigation area varnished while the rest was not - but it wasn't going to be easy. Diane did some more hand laundry (the stuff she doesn't trust to the laundry woman) and we ate an early lunch. Diane still wasn't feeling well so while she took a nap after lunch, I finished the forward running lights. That worked fine and so I decided to tackle the windlass. I got out the manual and followed the directions for getting the motor out since that was my initial diagnosis of the problem. I soon saw though that the motor was fine but the gear that is on the shaft was frozen in place. I got out the other gears easily, removed the setscrew holding the motor gear, and gently tapped with a hammer and punch to slide the motor shaft out of the gear. That worked and I tried the motor; it ran fine. Now I just had to get the gear out and see why it was frozen. I tried using some pliers with a cloth over the jaws to turn the gear but that wasn't too successful. I used my hand mirror to see that the gear could be reached from the inside the motor housing so I carefully tapped it out. The gear looked fine although it now had some 'plier marks' on it. There was a bearing inside that needed to come out. It wouldn't move with just my finger pressure so again I used the punch and it worked. Once I could see the inside of the bearing, what the manual calls a clutch roller, I could see the problem - some of the little rollers were loose and the metal holders were bent. That appeared to be the problem so I put the motor back in temporarily and case back together so I wouldn't loose any parts. The windlass maker, Simpson-Lawrence, was still in business although this model was no longer made for many years. Hopefully they would still have spare parts because I doubt if anyplace around here would have a 'clutch roller'. By the time that was done, it was too late to start anything else so I just cleaned up and relaxed the rest of the day. Sunday was finally a day off. Most of the morning was just finishing getting ready for Elias tomorrow but we then went to the Sunday brunch at the MareMares Resort and Marina with Janice and Weedie. The food was good but there was some confusion about the champagne. Anyway, we all enjoyed it. We stopped to see Denny on White Tiger and then went back to the boat. We just relaxed for the rest of the day. (We needed to let the food settle anyway). Elias started the varnishing the next morning, coming at 9. There were more things to do to prepare for him so while I worked Diane went to the mall. The boat was now (again) becoming a mess so he could do his work. Diane got back late and after we got her stuff on board, we went to get the laundry and stopped by Midnight Stroller for a while. Tom, on Mima, suggested that Andrea would know where I might get the roller clutch for the windlass and she very kindly offered to drive me there tomorrow. Back at the boat, we got ready for the weekly potluck at the marina and we had a very nice time. The lomito Diane grilled was excellent and the company was, as usual, very good, but the highlight was the Tres Leches cake that Arnoldo's (the dockmaster) wife made - excellent. The next day I couldn't do much of what I needed to do since other things that Elias and Diane were doing would have interfered so I worked on the web site mostly. I also went to the Internet (and waited to get on at the mini-mart) to try to send an email to the people who might still have parts for the windlass. I had to try that since I couldn't find the special bearing for the windlass in PLC. Andrea, on Midnight Stroller, was kind enough to drive me early in the morning to 2 stores that specialized in bearings and neither had it in stock or could order it. The afternoon was taken up by working on Joe's web site since he had some updates for me to do. The next morning I finally decided to change the engine oil regardless of what else was going on. Elias was working in the cockpit and Diane had to work outside washing some canvas. I finished changing the oil and filter around 11:30. It was very much overdue. I cleaned up and we had lunch and in the afternoon I worked on our web site. The updates were about 3 months behind also but of course, we were near islands that had no Internet service for many of those months and Bonaire was just too expensive to do an extensive update. I had also redesigned the site a bit to eliminate the automatic email addressing since I think it was the cause of a lot of the spam I was getting. By the time I finished, it was too late to go and upload the new pages. I just went for a shower since we also wanted to go to the Maremares manager's party tonight. The party was very nice and we enjoyed it - and since it was dry season here now, there were no mosquitoes. |