Poo and pan storage

The holding tank (ordered sometime in November) finally arrived. Having a holding tank means that when we are in a marina or anchorage, we can shut the ‘out’ sea-cock and collect everything that goes down the loo into a tank that we empty when we are at least 3 miles offshore. Fitting the tank involved some running around for wood for the supporting shelf and a last minute panic to get a longer length of sanitation hose while the whole toilet system was dismantled in the saloon. Once the tank was installed, I did suggest that we should have some subtle backlighting so that we can see when we are nearing capacity, but David said that it would be too much trouble to get behind the tank now (or two small words to that effect), so we’ll just have to watch how much we poo in port. So far, the only drawback to having the tank is that I have to find new homes for all the things that used to live in that large, dry and accessible locker behind the loo. On the positive side, at least now we can now enter Greece and Turkey legally – and the Caribbean (should we ever get that far).

CAPE’s smart new holding tank and our interesting collection of loo rolls, towels and bed linen.

Other boat jobs tackled included changing the impeller on the engine water pump, and sorting the long-debated pan storage shelves. Pan storage might not sound like a big deal, but when a girl has to get every single one out to get at the one she needs, it becomes AN ISSUE. Now – at last – I can now get out, or put back a pot, pan or frying pan, without having to get every other pan out to do so!

Upper and lower pan storage – note the fine carpentry detail (mmm, this photo reminds me – must add ‘sand and varnish saloon floor’ to the to-do list).

Blue cheese burgers, Green Onions and 12-bar blues

Geoff and Lynn were also around for most of January and we jammed, feasted and belly boarded with them. We had a guitar jamming evening with English Mike (nope, no idea how he acquired that label, apart from the fact that he is English), which consisted of blue cheese burgers followed by Green Onions and 12-bar blues in E. We also ventured up to the Brazilian BBQ to fight down copious quantities of meat and Caparinias, and we belly boarded at every opportunity.

Green Onions with HP sauce, Heinz tomato ketchup and mayonnaise.

News from our trip to the UK will follow in the next blog entry…