Heading North - Underway Again 28 46.70S 153 44.44E
Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Wed 26 Jun 2013 06:32
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Underway again, at the second attempt at leaving Coffs
Harbour. Initially left in the morning and got no more than a mile when we found
water in the bilge. Not a lot, but a steady little stream. With the engine
going, and being too close to the shore to risk turning it off, it wasn't
possible to check all the likely possibilities as most involved the engine or
the generator. (I have to lie over the engine to get to the generator, so not a
good idea to try with the engine running!) Tasting the water it didn't taste
like fresh water, so not a water tank or water pipe problem, but it didn't taste
like seawater either. There was a strong unpleasant taste that I thought might
be old stagnant saltwater that had mixed with oil or the contents of the
bilge channels and perhaps been hiding somewhere for a while, only to be
dislodged when we rolled going out of the harbour (it was still a bit
swelly). So it was an about turn back into the harbour and back to the marina to
start the investigation. Putting a piece of carpet over the hot engine the
generator was checked and all looked okay. All the pipework was checked. Skin
fittings were all checked. The floor came up and still no sign of where the
water was come from. Then we thought about the watermaker high pressure
pump under another part of the floor. So more floor came up. The pump
was fine, but then a small trail of liquid was spotted going under
the pump and making it's way to the bilge channels and on to the bilge
sump. It was coming from one of the hanging lockers, but there are no
fittings or anything that could leak in that locker. Wrong! We have been
buying the crystals that help prevent condensation. Here they sell a bag that is
on a hanger that you hang in with clothes. It's nicely scented, so everything
smells nice, and it has it's own plastic bag that catches the water that's taken
out of the air. The bag had 2 punctures, probably due to it swinging back
and forth and catching on something, and the liquid was draining out, going
behind the mahogany strip locker lining and down under the floor. We
had turned round just for that! The boat was now in pieces with most of the
floor up and by the time we had cleaned things up and put everything back
the tide was too low to get out the marina. So having arrived in the marina
after dark, we left after dark as soon as there was enough depth.
Since then the winds have come up and down and
we've been making 4 to 6kts against the current. So slowly making our way
north. Overnight and during the day we achieved two significant milestones.
Firstly we passed north of the 30 degree parallel (latitude) and
that's where the weather systems start to change. The tradewinds are
not so far away. Secondly we've passed Cape Byron - the most easterly point
along the coast (the big fat bit on the east coast!). Up to now we've actually
been heading in a northeasterly direction. From now on it's going to be
west of north. Since leaving Coffs and up to noon today, we've
made 100.4 miles. Again we had the moon out most of the night and that
makes such a difference.
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