Pipedream's Web Diary - 35 54.270N 014 29.893E Malta Update

35 54.270N 014 29.893E Malta Update

Pipedream

Fri 12 Aug 2011 07:27

We have settled into life and the rhythm of the boat yard. Work here begins around 6:30 AM. By then it is pretty light and the not too hot. The temperature gets down to around 76 F at night and goes to about 88 F in the day. The wash and locker facilities are first rate... clean, plenty of hot water, and great showers. A good selection of chicken, hamburger, and curry chicken joints just outside the main gate. Plenty of site seeing, ( we have done both the north and south site seeing bus trips and surveyed the entire island) good city bus system, friendly people that speak English, and best of all... two full city blocks of boat supply stores circling the boat yard. Malta so far is a great place to lay up a boat. The going labor rate in the yard is 35 Euro an hour and the management and staff here appear to be very competent although lacking in the American 'sense of urgency but then I have enough of that to go around for all.

We have found a good meat supply... they sell all frozen stuff at pretty low prices.. like 8 chicken legs for 2.50 Euro and two chicken breasts wrapped in bacon. We even had a couple of rib eye steaks on the grill two nights ago. Since we are without refrigeration this has worked out well. I buy a couple of pieces of fruit every day, and the wine here is pretty good and inexpensive. The real Mediterranean diet.

At dinner out the other night Michael and I met a couple of guys, with a rental car, vacationing here from Paris. Michael went with them that night to the night club section of town. All the clubs here are in one area... the Wells Road of Malta. Likely makes it easier to police and the residents there expect what ever... or they shouldn't be there. I of course curled up with a good book that night... hah! When I woke up the next morning Michael was sleeping in his bunk.. until about noon.

Engineering notes: repairs are moving along...

Got my glasses fixed finally after three months. Broken stem on one side but my glasses are so special no one works on them in Europe. I found the only shop in Malta!
The Veriprop propeller came off ok but upon inspection was a mess inside. Lots of broken gear teeth. Either that big dock line John and I worked hours underwater to cut off the prop and shaft or not greasing the thing started it's demise. It was not feathering and some times refused to engage either forward or reverse. Very dangerous during docking operations when you go for reverse to stop and nothing happens. The yard was getting me estimates on new props $$$$, but the Veriprop guys in Germany came through with a great repair estimate. I asked the yard guys to box up the parts and send them in two days ago... when I checked yesterday they were scheduled to be shipped on Sunday. I could not get an answer on the delay? Sense of urgency again... Monday here is a holiday and they are doing a lot of maintenance on the yard itself... I smiled and said thank you very much.
They got the prop shaft out of the boat... major deal using a large hydraulic ram pack to free it from the flex coupling.
Replaced both outside cutlass bearings.
Rebuilding the seals on the leaking shaft seal... the real reason for being here. The mechanic pointed out that the leaking one was made of brass and the new 'last drop' replacement I had bought was made of plastic. My original lasted almost 10 years and with all the motoring we have done finally wore the seal out. they suggested rebuilding the old one. Hope it works as well as when it was new.
I found a generator shop outside the marina and had the leaking generator raw water pump front seals replaced.
We took the life raft and all the fire extinguishers in for recertification.
We got the Genoa off and a sail maker came by and picked it up to re-sew the sun cover.
Changed the oil and filters in the engine and genset.
Gave the bilges a good cleaning.
Replaced a few deck fittings, Genoa deck guide, and life line gate hook.

I still have a pretty big punch list and will continue to plug away in between sight seeing trips.

I feel a little left out after watching the doings on Wall Street, Washington, and in England via the internet. A large favorable change in the exchange rate would be welcome when it comes time to pay this marina bill!