Is Something Burning?
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Mon 15 Jun 2009 15:28
Course: East 6 knots
Wind: Southwest, fresh
Weather: Overcast, mild. Sea: slight
Day's Run: 124 miles
The weather is unfolding as forecast, reassuring. We now have a a nice breeze, beam reaching with full sail set at a comfortable six knots.
Events of note:
Had to climb the bloody mast again yesterday evening, this time because the navigation light wasn't burning properly. I recently purchased a nice new (and expensive) LED replacement bulb, it uses about one tenth the power of the old incandescent, which makes a big difference to my energy budget and is therefore well worth the investment. But last night only the red sector was lighting up, very strange. On investigation the bulb was a little loose, why the red sector should still work and not the green and white is a mystery but is something I will resolve when we are alongside or at anchor and all is quiet and still. Fortunately this climb was nowhere near as nerve racking as my last one as conditions were much calmer. I just hope the bulb will remain firmly in place until we get to anchor.
Small fire in the galley. I have been suspicious of a gas leak for sometime as when I shut off the gas bottle the gas normally stays in the line for hours so you can relight the burner without opening the bottle. Of course the flame goes out but it is a good test for leaks. Yesterday I could smell it, it was coming from the back of the stove somewhere. I pulled the stove top apart, all joints were tight and no leaks discernible. Last evening I was making a cup of coffee when, WHOOSH!, a nice big flash of flame appears from behind the stove. I turned off the gas bottle and immediately the flame died away, well that definitely wasn't right. I looked behind the stove again, not even a scorch mark to give me a sign where the problem was. It had to be the hose connection to the back of the stove. I disconnected it and sure enough there was a crack in it, it had obviously grown worse just recently and was only leaking noticeably when the stove rolled a certain way. Obviously the stove swinging back and forth in its gimbals had created the split over time, right at the hard point where the hose connects to the metal pipe on the back of the stove. Well it certainly was a relief to have solved that problem. I shortened the hose a little, reconnected it and now it is holding gas again. Hooray!
Looking at the forecast I think we will make for Cork, maybe check out the oldest sailing club in the world, the Royal Cork, see how friendly they are to wandering Aussies. ETA 19 June.
All is well.
Bob Cat:
Do I smell singed hair, is skipper Bob missing an eyebrow? What a strange fellow. Hope he doesn't climb into the bunk smelling like that. Oh well, roll over, Zzzzzzz.