Fridge Update
Ile Jeudi
Bob and Lin Griffiths
Tue 9 Oct 2012 18:58
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Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 October 2012
Monday was spent making phone calls to England and
Spain and other Canary Islands to explore options for the fridge in anticipation
of the contact with Isotherm tomorrow (sorry this has become a fridge
blog). This includes flying back to the UK to collect a new one,
which happens to be in stock at the UK Isotherm distributor, and bring it back
on the plane. This would avoid the unpredictable duties and delays
of importing to the Canaries (we have been advised this is sometimes the
quicker and cheaper option as Mr Customs Man sometimes decrees that boat parts
are luxury items which attract a 30% duty). However we soon
established that transporting a fridge compressor in the hold of a
plane is unlikely to be approved by the airlines, because although the gas it
contains is inert it is under pressure. The Spanish Isotherm distributor
didn't have the fridge we need in stock but 'could get one from Italy in about 2
weeks'. No thanks.
On Tuesday Isotherm Italy told me they could ship a
compressor FOC to Spain and then on to us to fit as a test to see if that solves
the problem. If it doesn't we would only have to pay transport and
duties. As the compressor is €750 we decided to call a halt on the repairs
and start again with a new higher-spec fridge that might be
better suited to the tropics.
Gran Canaria is a place geared up for equipping
yachts because the island is often the last port of call before setting off
across the Atlantic. We found a company that specialises in Waeco boat
fridges in Las Palmas - and they have them in stock - so we have decided to
sail there. Usually it is not possible to get a berth in Las Palmas at
this time of year because they have to make space for the 230 boats which
arrive for the start of the annual 'Atlantic Rally for Cruisers' (ARC) in
November. The fridge supplier, Rolnautic, say they can get us in because
we are having work done. We made arrangements to be there later this
week.
Unfortunately the canvass man was not in Lanzarote
on Monday so couldn't collect the sprayhood for repair until Tuesday. This
he did and he managed to get it back to us the same day but unfortunately there
was another adjustment he needed to do and it became too late for us to set
off for Gran Canaria.
Someone once described liveaboard life on
yachts as 'boat maintenance in exotic places'. It is a perfect
description.
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