After All things Fall Apart

After the flood which damaged so many of Zoonie’s systems when she had been ready for sea before and then ‘Things Fell Apart’ we knew we had an uphill struggle again to restore her systems to working order, I can now happily report we are nearly there.

We have four issues left to sort out. Whilst researching our fridge compressor on the lovely fast internet in Dickens Rob discovered ours had been installed the wrong way around. So the fan was trying to expel the hot air onto the hull, (and getting it all back) when it should have been sending it out through the two vents provided for it, so it was constantly on and using a lot of electricity.

Secondly we discovered the wiring for the bow prop is crossed over so to turn her bow right we press the port/left side button and vice versa. Well that’s ok if one wants it like that but we feel it best to stick with the old arrangement as when in a close quarters situation there is not a lot of time to ‘remember’ the system has changed and the consequences of getting it wrong would not be pretty.

Thirdly, the new macerator pump for the black (poo) tank does not work for some reason, (can’t say I really blame it) but we need to get that system working in a world of ever more stringent environmental regulations.

Finally we need to take Zoonie on a run downriver to some clean, blueish water and test the watermaker. The new assembly came back with part of the high pressure pump mounted on the opposite side to where it had been on the old one. We hope that doesn’t make any difference.

Alex from WMS, our engine people, came aboard first thing last Friday and discovered the engine was not quite in line with the prop shaft. This came from Rob finding it was very hard to turn the prop by hand when one should be able to do it with one finger. A careful nudging of the engine on its adjustable mounts and the desired effect was achieved.

Time was running out to catch enough depth of water in the ebbing tide to get Zoonie back up to the Town Basin. So we split the job and Mo launched her last Friday and then we gently slid her around from the hoist bay onto the pontoon for the night and moved her upriver, UNDER HER OWN POWER FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WE ARRIVED LAST NOVEMBER!

A quick radio call to Merv and Jeannie on Meridian Passage on the same pontoon we had been allocated to and they came down and took our lines in the blustery wind and chilly showers. Good friends. So Zoonie Rocks gently to and fro, side to side and feels normal again. No more night time bucket and chuck it and emptying the sink bucket three times a day. Feeling safe working on deck again one of the first things Rob and I did was wash her decks clean of the grit from the yard and the green slime that had formed on her and she looks so much better.

Then came my Birthday. As the hourglass of life ticks on and the sand, and other things, submit to the force of gravity I decided the celebrations this year should be spread out over four days with at least one encounter with a sandy beach, a dinner party with friends and a decadent cake…….