Bit quiet, then suddenly - Bosun shock horror!
X86
Rich Carey
Fri 16 Feb 2018 14:59
18:20.279N 65:37.963W
Holed up in Sunbay Marina, Puerto Rico. This is a longish stop (3 weeks ish), for boat work and resupply, hence the reduction in blog posts. Here we can get Amazon orders delivered (like new Kindle as mine battery went tits up), and avail of some good Chandler's. We're in prep mode for the big hops ahead, where facilities and supplies (parts), will be more challenging.
The Marina is medium size but has zero beverage or supply type facilities. It's not too battered, and really quiet, so we're enjoying both a peaceful existence, and nice longish walks to the local towns facilities with Bosun. For going further, we've hired a three cylinder Chevy Spark that barely fits the three of us, or two on a shopping run. You feel like a bug, scurrying along under the wheels of the massive Mack trucks.
Went up to the main Rain Forrest which is pleasantly local. Unfortunately like everywhere else, it got battered. Trees were stripped, felled, and roads were blocked by tons of debris. The park authorities are well into the recovery phase, but you still can't get very far in, so we didn't see much. They say more is opening shortly, so we'll try again next week.
Snapped Karen in McDonalds. She hates fast food joints, especially maccas, and denies going near them "OMG I never eat in 'those' places" .... Hunger got the better :-)
Sboard toilet got blocked. 'S..t mechanic Carey' to the front. Did a repeat of the port jobby (no pun intended), with a full change of the macerator, joker valve, piping back to the tank, and rod poking/unblocking. Messy stinky, but ultimately satisfying tasky.
Fixed the Sboard engine. Broken water pump impeller and minor diesel bug issue. Changed the pump, and serviced all four Racor fuel/water separator filters - complete disassembly, clean, and rebuild took several hours - crammed in very small places as ever.
New tender delivered and strapped on. We'd had enough of the cheap soft bottom piece of crap we had. I drove around San Juan looking for the vendor (tender-vender?!), And nearly rear-ended a few times. Half the traffic lights are still out, so it's Rafferty rules mayhem, and I was navigating off the phone, in hand - hard work! When I eventually found tender-vender, I bought a Highfield UL 290 (hard aluminium botty). Now just need to haul the Suzuki DF6 down town for a service - if I can fit im in Spark. The 44kg Ultra Light 290, should go nicely with the Suzi six horses, but also pretty well with the 2.5 equivalent horses of the Torqeedo.
Acquired a plethora of 'bits' from the Chandler's as usual. Built a double filtration system for the shore water supply. So far we've been lucky with water (over the last few months have only used our 30gal an hour water maker). From now on, safe shore water may be more of a challenge (in places like Columbia and Panama), so filtration in Marina's is important.
All reading, assured us that we'd not get shore power working (120/240v challenge). But one tries - failed, gave up immediately. Ordered a 3000w step up transformer from Amazon. Then a euro boat (240v), turned up, plugged in - all good - WTF! I took his cross wired 2 phase to 1 phase cable apart, and it was wired exactly the way I'd done mine. Hmmmm - this bore further investigation. After much ado, crammed in electrical cupboard with wires all over for half day, I found the issue to be with the shore power isolation transformer (device used to mitigate stray pwr/eth leakage/galvanic corrosion). Took it out of the circuit and wired the shore power directly to the inverter/charger - bingo :-). Batts now looking well charged and healthy. Step up transformer arrived yesterday - now have to find somewhere to put the blasted, heavy, unneeded thing! Lucky they are cheap, might just leave it by the bins! Then again, might not get 2 phase 110 everywhere, so maybe hang on.
Built new small shelf next to BBQ as the old one was garbage. Made a better/bigger 'lean to' against the BBQ, for comfortable semi reclining on passage. Comfy :-).
Currently half way through replacing the docs cupboard side opening door, at the nav station, for a dual purpose drop down door/printer table.
Fixed the cupboard Karen broke. Fixed the door handle Karen pulled off. Fixed the 100amp fuse Karen blew ....
Still need to fix the reefing. I'd fixed the busted second reef a while back, but need to work on a new rope for the first, and a new system for the turd (froidian slip ref earlier work!). This is work pending as we are currently in a rather persistent blow. It's been 30+ knot gusts for the last 10 days, another reason that we're enjoying our longish marina stay.
Tim and Ruth on Victory Cat, whom we last saw in the BVI, were in PR when we arrived, but not close (down in Ponce Marina on the South coast), so not able to catch up with them. They had a deadline (picking up friends in Jamaica), so they braved the winds and went for a fast ride Eastward. Haven't heard how it went, but we see they made it (AIS tracking online shows them in Kingston).
Still need to fix the gas issue. Likely simple, but need to move a heap of stuff to get to the pipe joints for soapy water leak testing - so been putting this off.
New Kindle Oasis arrived - nice. Ordered and should receive shortly (maybe today), the 'Wirie'. It's a long range wifi/cellular receiver/transmitter. That should greatly enhance internet sucking when coastal. Will kick ass get that fitted as soon as mitts are on im.
Then the shock horror ... Karen was investigating canine entry requirements for forthcoming countries. Always a bit ominous, but now looking moreso. Then she realised that getting Bosun onto the Pacific Islands was impossible. Not sure how we'd missed this, but people do not take pets there. You can take them, but they have to stay aboard, and with a young lively lad like Bosun, that would be cruel, as the long hops are tough enough for him. Sooooo ..... his round the world on a boat, boat dog, spare rations, bit - is over :-( - he's now going to England (!), at no small expense, with Karen. Luckily, she stays in Scottyland when I'm doing the big deep stuff, with a close friend that has both space and her own dogs, so it might work out - fingers crossed, or the efforts to cover our current nomadic lifestyle, will get harder. Getting him to blighty is no push over - Karen is currently in docs/vets/crates/flights/agents hell! At some future date, if we finally settle in Aus (Cyprus is back on the table), it's going to be bloomin expensive shipping him there! So he's now called Bosun 'spare rations', 'hit man', 'costalot', Carey!
Update - looks like Bosun might go to blighty on the 26th - 1st March. So x86 go Columbia abouts then, righty ho.
All's well on x86, 'stuff' arriving, doggo leaving.
Holed up in Sunbay Marina, Puerto Rico. This is a longish stop (3 weeks ish), for boat work and resupply, hence the reduction in blog posts. Here we can get Amazon orders delivered (like new Kindle as mine battery went tits up), and avail of some good Chandler's. We're in prep mode for the big hops ahead, where facilities and supplies (parts), will be more challenging.
The Marina is medium size but has zero beverage or supply type facilities. It's not too battered, and really quiet, so we're enjoying both a peaceful existence, and nice longish walks to the local towns facilities with Bosun. For going further, we've hired a three cylinder Chevy Spark that barely fits the three of us, or two on a shopping run. You feel like a bug, scurrying along under the wheels of the massive Mack trucks.
Went up to the main Rain Forrest which is pleasantly local. Unfortunately like everywhere else, it got battered. Trees were stripped, felled, and roads were blocked by tons of debris. The park authorities are well into the recovery phase, but you still can't get very far in, so we didn't see much. They say more is opening shortly, so we'll try again next week.
Snapped Karen in McDonalds. She hates fast food joints, especially maccas, and denies going near them "OMG I never eat in 'those' places" .... Hunger got the better :-)
Sboard toilet got blocked. 'S..t mechanic Carey' to the front. Did a repeat of the port jobby (no pun intended), with a full change of the macerator, joker valve, piping back to the tank, and rod poking/unblocking. Messy stinky, but ultimately satisfying tasky.
Fixed the Sboard engine. Broken water pump impeller and minor diesel bug issue. Changed the pump, and serviced all four Racor fuel/water separator filters - complete disassembly, clean, and rebuild took several hours - crammed in very small places as ever.
New tender delivered and strapped on. We'd had enough of the cheap soft bottom piece of crap we had. I drove around San Juan looking for the vendor (tender-vender?!), And nearly rear-ended a few times. Half the traffic lights are still out, so it's Rafferty rules mayhem, and I was navigating off the phone, in hand - hard work! When I eventually found tender-vender, I bought a Highfield UL 290 (hard aluminium botty). Now just need to haul the Suzuki DF6 down town for a service - if I can fit im in Spark. The 44kg Ultra Light 290, should go nicely with the Suzi six horses, but also pretty well with the 2.5 equivalent horses of the Torqeedo.
Acquired a plethora of 'bits' from the Chandler's as usual. Built a double filtration system for the shore water supply. So far we've been lucky with water (over the last few months have only used our 30gal an hour water maker). From now on, safe shore water may be more of a challenge (in places like Columbia and Panama), so filtration in Marina's is important.
All reading, assured us that we'd not get shore power working (120/240v challenge). But one tries - failed, gave up immediately. Ordered a 3000w step up transformer from Amazon. Then a euro boat (240v), turned up, plugged in - all good - WTF! I took his cross wired 2 phase to 1 phase cable apart, and it was wired exactly the way I'd done mine. Hmmmm - this bore further investigation. After much ado, crammed in electrical cupboard with wires all over for half day, I found the issue to be with the shore power isolation transformer (device used to mitigate stray pwr/eth leakage/galvanic corrosion). Took it out of the circuit and wired the shore power directly to the inverter/charger - bingo :-). Batts now looking well charged and healthy. Step up transformer arrived yesterday - now have to find somewhere to put the blasted, heavy, unneeded thing! Lucky they are cheap, might just leave it by the bins! Then again, might not get 2 phase 110 everywhere, so maybe hang on.
Built new small shelf next to BBQ as the old one was garbage. Made a better/bigger 'lean to' against the BBQ, for comfortable semi reclining on passage. Comfy :-).
Currently half way through replacing the docs cupboard side opening door, at the nav station, for a dual purpose drop down door/printer table.
Fixed the cupboard Karen broke. Fixed the door handle Karen pulled off. Fixed the 100amp fuse Karen blew ....
Still need to fix the reefing. I'd fixed the busted second reef a while back, but need to work on a new rope for the first, and a new system for the turd (froidian slip ref earlier work!). This is work pending as we are currently in a rather persistent blow. It's been 30+ knot gusts for the last 10 days, another reason that we're enjoying our longish marina stay.
Tim and Ruth on Victory Cat, whom we last saw in the BVI, were in PR when we arrived, but not close (down in Ponce Marina on the South coast), so not able to catch up with them. They had a deadline (picking up friends in Jamaica), so they braved the winds and went for a fast ride Eastward. Haven't heard how it went, but we see they made it (AIS tracking online shows them in Kingston).
Still need to fix the gas issue. Likely simple, but need to move a heap of stuff to get to the pipe joints for soapy water leak testing - so been putting this off.
New Kindle Oasis arrived - nice. Ordered and should receive shortly (maybe today), the 'Wirie'. It's a long range wifi/cellular receiver/transmitter. That should greatly enhance internet sucking when coastal. Will kick ass get that fitted as soon as mitts are on im.
Then the shock horror ... Karen was investigating canine entry requirements for forthcoming countries. Always a bit ominous, but now looking moreso. Then she realised that getting Bosun onto the Pacific Islands was impossible. Not sure how we'd missed this, but people do not take pets there. You can take them, but they have to stay aboard, and with a young lively lad like Bosun, that would be cruel, as the long hops are tough enough for him. Sooooo ..... his round the world on a boat, boat dog, spare rations, bit - is over :-( - he's now going to England (!), at no small expense, with Karen. Luckily, she stays in Scottyland when I'm doing the big deep stuff, with a close friend that has both space and her own dogs, so it might work out - fingers crossed, or the efforts to cover our current nomadic lifestyle, will get harder. Getting him to blighty is no push over - Karen is currently in docs/vets/crates/flights/agents hell! At some future date, if we finally settle in Aus (Cyprus is back on the table), it's going to be bloomin expensive shipping him there! So he's now called Bosun 'spare rations', 'hit man', 'costalot', Carey!
Update - looks like Bosun might go to blighty on the 26th - 1st March. So x86 go Columbia abouts then, righty ho.
All's well on x86, 'stuff' arriving, doggo leaving.
