Friday 12^th April

Finally underway after the longest leak chase in the short history of Ayia Napa Marina.

We left the mooring at about 4.30pm having dashed to the supermarket in Paralimni  using Fionas car, fuelled up and checked that the engine was running O.K with a short sea test. We then stopped at the customs dock to finally check out and depart at 6.15 pm, 3 days after having checked out with customs. That was after about 2 weeks of fuel leak work first with the injectors and then with the fuel pump connections all with Fiona’s invaluable help. We actually still have a slow drip on the fuel pump but although Fiona was keen to get the pump re-furbished we had run out of time and money. At high rate Marina fees and calculating the drip was costing about 1% extra fuel use we cut our losses. The leak now only occurs with engine running so the big loss when leaving the boat unattended is at least sorted. Also I found the fuel tank tap so will be turning that off in future.

The fuel pump connections proved to be really stubborn involving a change of washer combinations for the pipes, re-attaching the heat exchanger each time with impossible to reach bolts, running a test, seeing the fuel spurt out and trying again. Finally Fiona found the correct washers, (flat one side, rounded the other) from her local agricultural engineer and with extra tightening yesterday got the drip down to one every 6 secs. My intimate relationship with Perkins 4108 heat exchanger and fuel system is one I am keen to end but a slow drip still demands future involvement.

We anchored last night at 10.15pm off Cape Kiti, just across Larnaca Bay. So 20 miles of the 600 or so to Poros ticked off.