Bleeding Hell!
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Thu 29 Oct 2009 17:34
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We are now at a small island to the north of
Lanzarote at an anchorage alone in a lovely bay at position 29:13.4N
13:30.8W just south of the village in the island of Graciosa. This is a
very basic or rustic small island with a small fishing comunity with
streets of sand and where almost every vehicle is a Landrover. Kind of a
two horse but hundred and two Landrover town. We met a guy here who
left France 15 years ago to sail across the Atlantic and has been the last
15 years in the Canary Islands - still living aboard his 34ft boat. So we better
be careful not to hang around too long. Just when we were a few hours out
yesterday and we were starting to write the victory speeches the engine died. We
were motoring as there was absolutely no wind. This was a significant oversight
on my part as we have three fuel tanks and we should be monitoring and managing
the usage. But we, or I more to the point, did not, so "nil point"
agus mega air lock in generator and main engine - and no wind. Yes - very
nice......
So as a punishment in lieu of being tied to the
mast and getting a dozen lashes I had to bleed both fuel systems right through
to the injectors in a stinking hot engine room. So sprayed in diesel and covered
in sweat we got the engine going after 3/4 of an hour or so. The generator
was bled at the anchorage along with my knuckles which had been cut a
couple of times due to the very ackward access to the injectors
- anyway very satisfying to recover some credibility after letting a tank
run dry.
On working on diesel engines or any engines
for that matter and bleeding diesel fuel systems I have significant previous
experience having stripped down and rebuilt many's a Massey 35 tractor and
other tractors and diesel engines and various bits of plant of an evening
or weekend so unfortunately, being guilty on not having asked for the tanks to
be checked and having the experience I had to do the bleeding. And so
it should be.
Speaking of lashes - in Gibraltar we visited a
museum about the great seige which told us about a drummer in the British Army
who received 30,000 lashes in his 14 year career in the army there,
including 4000 in one year! Quite impressive and he clearly set the
standard for drummers behaviour ever since. Tomorrow 1st mate Angus departs
by RIB then ferry then taxi then flight to Edinburgh from Lanzarote then
Edinburgh Sumburgh. We will sail the 30 miles or so to the south of Lanzarote
where we will spend a few days before moving onto Fuertaventura.
By the way for those that are interested we have a
200hp turbo charges 4 cylinder Yanmar main engine with a ZF gearbox and a 4
cylinder Onan/Cummins 11KVA generator.
Speak soon.
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