Thursday - 23rd August

We said goodbye to Simon this morning and started our preparations for the next leg of our journey.  Our first task was the inevitable laundry, followed by supermarket shopping.  We then had a lovely lunch break of tapas at a bar in the very old narrow streets of Bayona with two of our Rally friends, who are returning to the UK in a few days time.  As promised our Spanish friends delivered the oil filter yesterday evening, so the next task was the oil filter change.  This meant emptying the cockpit lockers so that access was possible to the side of the engine involved, this filled the cockpit and covered the coach roof.  I had the task of finding the pump to removed the oil from the engine, this involved emptying our hanging locker in the saloon and removing the lining to access our spares storage, so the saloon was in turmoil too.  Then came the messy part of the task which I was dreading.  We had purchased a bucket purposefully for oil changes before we left the UK and it has been useful previously for other purposes upon which I won't dwell, suffice to say it was jolly handy at the time of the emergency.  Noel wedged himself in the bottom of the locker and began pumping the oil out of the engine into the bucket.  To start with nothing happened, tubes were removed and inspected, oil dripped here and there, he tried again nothing.  Was the pump working? Out it came once more, more oil dripping, copious amounts of kitchen towel was handed out. Yes suction was present, back in it went again, eventually the black liquid started flowing into the bucket!  Once full the pump and tubes was handed up, wiped and laid down on paper towel, needless to say, the residual oil still trapped in the syphon started to leak out but was fortunately spotted before it could create too much ofva disaster - more paper towel.  Then came the removal of the brimming and somewhat messy bucket, it had to be lifted from the depths of the locker.  More paper towel, a big plastic bag at the ready and the bucket was then carefully extracted from the locker without spillage.  Noel emerged next, looking a little like a commando about to go on night patrol!  Still more paper towel dispatched to mop up the locker. I was beginning to feel a little more relaxed, all the oil laden paper towel was in a plastic bag, the oil filled bucket was in another plastic bag, oily gloves removed in true surgical fashion and placed in the bag -  so far so good! Next came the refilling of the engine oil.  Access this time from the front of the engine down in the saloon, more chaos as the companion way ladders and the wooden panel were removed and placed in the centre of the saloon.  Now, the oil container was large and access to the engine restricted by hoses, wires, fire extinguisher etc. I held my breath as the container was tipped and wriggled into position, hoping that the boat would not lurch, the continual wash and movement of the sea from passing boats causes her to strain and snatch against the mooring lines. As the last drop of oil disappeared into the engine I breathed a sigh of relief.  Once the oil level was checked and the engine run and all guages giving the right readings, I think Noel gave an even bigger sigh! 

Now to the disposal of the bucket full of oil, the obvious answer was to pour it into the now empty oil container, but not on the boat!   On this mooring we are bow to the pontoon, so getting on and off involves climbing over the pulpit, whilst hanging on grimly, balancing on your toes (as foot is space is limited) on the end of the anchor and stepping  down and across about 3ft over the varying span of water from the anchor to the pontoon, how I wish my legs were longer!  Noel had gone ashore to clean up and discovered that there was an oil recycling container at the front of the mariner.  As he was on the pontoon, the brimming bucket, in its bag was carried to the front of the boat and carefully handed over.  Armed with a cut off water bottle to use as a funnel, the empty oil container and more paper towel we set off to the oil recycling point. Surprisingly all went well, not a drop was spilt and the oil safely deposited in the container and into the bin, along with the copious amount of oily paper towel, we had used a whole rolll!

Whisper was soon ship shape again, everything restowed, the water tank filled, diesel refuelled, Avon deflated.  Two mariners sat down to a light supper feeling very relieved that all had gone so well and ready for tomorrows start on the next leg of our journey down the Portugese coast - weather permitting of course!