27th Sept 2008 - Mastervolt generators are still useless

Bali Hai
Neal Stow
Sat 27 Sep 2008 23:32
Today was the last day for most of the crew and it was to be spent relaxing in Port Colom.  It was another sunny day with just a few clouds and although there was some breeze there was no sign of the gale force winds that had been forecast.
 
Being on a mooring buoy having a generator should be a boon, to provide 240 volt AC power.  So it was great to know that it had been fixed.  Or rather it was great for all of about 15 minutes when the thing just stopped.  The control panel indicates that this is the result of some hardware failure in the engine.  To say that it is frustrating is something of an understatement as it will now not only mean yet more lengthy phone calls to Holland but, if the last experience was anything to go by, it could take several months to get someone just to come and look at it.
 
Having shouted at the generator for ten minutes my mechanical skills were exhausted and we decided to go for lunch (all except Ardva, who went for a massage).  We headed into the old town and found a bar with okay food but very nice views over the bay.  After lunch we headed back towards the boat but wanted to stop somewhere for a coffee.  We found Restautante Mestral, a really excellent bar/restaurant just across from where we were moored and where the coffee turned itself in a bottle of rosé. 
 
Emma and I then returned to the boat for a siesta while the others had one for the road, which turned into two, three and then four bottles of cava.  This was because they had got chatting to a Spanish family on the next table and everyone turned out to be very friendly.  The place is so friendly in fact that when they booked a local taxi to take them to the airport in the morning the taxi driver bought them a bottle of wine in gratitude!  When Emma and I came back to the bar at eight o'clock the others were all well and truly sloshed, the Spanish family (really just a 67 year old mother and her son) spoke excellent English (the mother having being married to a Brit and lived in Birmingham).  They were really good fun, the mother was quite a character and was convinced that Big Pete and Dave were a couple.  When they finally left to drive(!!) back to Palma, we found that they had paid for all the drinks.
 
We had some very good tapas and paella before returning to the boat for a final nightcap on the last day.  This crew has been excellent fun and I really hope that they all come back next year.