Tuesday 29^th September -  Our boat is Taiwanese built for the American Market – can you believe we have the only model of Perkins engine never to be imported into Australia and therefore the parts are not available?  I can!!  Can we find an oil seal? No.  Have we tried very hard?  Yes.  It is too late now to order the correct seal from America and with the engine in bits all over the boat and our departure through the lock booked for Thursday 09.30 hrs we are going to have to compromise…… we have bought all sorts of thicknesses of packing cord but none seems to do the job and in the end, having searched the entire industrial estate area of Darwin, we have decided to invert the existing seal, with a little packing underneath to raise it which should last us around 2,000 engine hours – at which time we will have to do the whole exercise all over again!

We have been to the cinema, first time in a year and back to Mindle Market for the sunset picnic on the beach.  Also to Fisherman’s Wharf – what a brilliant (transferable) idea – massive wharf with leased ‘kitchens’, hundreds of tables and chairs and liquor stores – so you just turn up all buy your favourite food which ranges from freshest fish and chips to Japanese/Thai/Indian/Italian/Crepes etc then join back together on a free table.  Cheap and cheerful it was packed out, overlooking the bay where we first arrived and anchored.

Fisherman’s wharf from the sea…..

The heat!  And the predicted rains in the areas we will be travelling to have made us re-think that an overall awning could be very useful– so Wally is returning this morning to measure up we hope.  We have replaced our genoa (front sail) sheets (ropes), collected the repaired (spare) dinghy, bought heavy density foam to go around the saloon table so we have a degree of comfort now the diesel cans are all underneath the table and prohibit our legs, fitted LED navigation lights throughout to save on amps, fitted new Perspex hatch windows with longer security bolts and found compatible ink cartridges for the printer.

The gas regulator we bought in Port Douglas isn’t the right one for our bottle afterall, so today we need to find a new one and get the gas bottles refilled, meet Wally first thing, collect our Indonesian Visas at 2.30, do another laundry run, start to stow and put the engine back together this evening when Nefa the engineer arrives at 17.00 hrs.  This clashes with the Indonesian briefing and Rally dinner at Cullen Bay Marina at 16.30 so I will go and take notes and Paul will join me later…. the boys have said they will help Nefa.  That leaves one day tomorrow to go to the supermarket, all clear Customs, and do a final tidy up.