chaser 2
Chaser 2
Yvonne Chapman
Tue 10 Oct 2006 17:35
Well, sorry to everyone
who has seen this already, but it can't go unpublished. This swordfish we caught
in the Med somewhere off Almerimar, only about 10 miles out. A few weeks ago
now, (and we're still eating it). In the Atlantic they may come bigger, but they
say size matters and in this case smaller would slide in the cold
box easier.
Anyway, we're still in
Rubicon enjoying the delights of this marina and the neighbouring island of
Fuerteventura. Jon and Kate are still here, Jon and Yvonnes dad is here too,
only a couple of days more and he returns to Mevagissey in Cornwall. We
plan on leaving Rubicon on Friday, probably about 2100hrs, have a night sail to
arrive at Gran Canaria sometime around noon the following day, that way we get a
daylight entry. We prefer to enter a new port during daylight if possible,
although Las Palmas appears to be quite easy. Rubicon was a little tricky first
time, it was low water, no moon, shallow and a narrow entrance.
This week we've had some
water in the bilge, there has always been a little, when
Opal Marine had the air con fitted they never connected the
discharge pipes, so that water went in the bilge, and some sealant was
missing in the shower, which allowed water in, but although we covered
most points, every now and then there was some water which we assume to be
one of the two above. This week though after pumping out, it filled quite
quickly, only a couple of inches, but more than normal. We first needed to
establish if it was salt water or fresh, neither too keen to take a swig, tried
various ways to test it, but in the end we had to have a drop. Under the
diesel and soap was definately freshwater, that was good news, so we lifted
the floorboards, removed everything that is stored below, (which is no
small task) and traced where it was coming from. It turns out to be the hot
water tank, dribbling hot water, its a Force 10 nearly 3 years old so a
little surprised that it should go so soon. Its too late to get one here,
not that Lanzarote is the best place to locate anything marine, West Marine in
Florida can get one to us, but Rolnautic in Las Palmas has one in stock. Its a
different model but available, less hassle than ordering from the states and
works out cheaper too, so we bought that and will have it waiting for us when we
arrive at the weekend.
These last few days have
been hot, windless and the sea flat, hopefully the wind will pick up by
Friday,(not too much Yvonne says) then off to Gran Canaria and meet up with
our new ARC friends Chris and Fritz, Hannu and Tina and Warren and Vicky, they
should already have arrived.
All for
now.
