Taking it easy at St Lucia
Ticketeeboo
Sue & Alan
Wed 12 Feb 2014 22:41
Yesterday was a mostly working day. Even having tidied-up some recent repair jobs, after collecting our jibsl from Kenny (Rodney Bay Sails) we were then getting it hoisted, which went ticketeeboo - despite a sudden gust or two between rain showers. Our choice, leaving next shopping excursion until today. Nevertheless, a good feeling to see our jibsl ready to use again, just before dark came.
Now dark, Sue had just been playing 'eye-spy' in the heads and on her exit said to me "The bowl seems to have more water in it than usual?" Of course, me instantly thinks "Must have been in need of that one then?" - soon to realise I had mis-understood her meaning! On close investigation (I should be so lucky) I can see the water inlet solenoid valve allowing the bowl to fill (as it should) and then refill (as it shouldn't)! This means more investigative work and figuring a way to sort the problem before it becomes a real issue. Firstly I find one of the sea-water 12mm fittings broken and water leaking behind the heads cabinet every time water flows into the bowl. Not for the first time, I find an over-tightened plastic push-in fitting with a ½" BSP parallel thread. No sooner do I attempt to unscrew the thread and the fitting parts company. "Hope I have a spare fitting otherwise it's a trip to the chandlers or plumming merchants in the morning?" me thinks. Fortunately I do have a spa
re fitting so that repair is easy. Next towards the cause of the fault found my Sue's most recent loo visitation............ The solenoid have had simply 'grown' some mineral growth amongst it's internal parts and diaphragm - including one of the tiny 'control' holes being blocked with mineral deposits. Cleaned before tea (evening meal) and re-assembled then tested afterwards, all OK with aft heads now. Except for one thing......... the locker door, which was noticeably 'swelling near it's two hinges' when we first returned to the yacht earlier last year, now has a completely loose adjoining marine-ply mounting piece, which was originally held against the FG cabinet base with a layer of 'gone-off/now useless' sticky. I guess the water-leak took care of a rather scanty method of fastening the plywood base? THis is now drying-out awaiting some new sticky plus a few screws (to keep it attached in future). As for the cabinet door - that'll be a future winter project because it's a litt
le job that can wait for now.
This morning I was up at first light. Expecting there to be little or no wind, I was correct. 10kn wind is just fine for lowering our genoa sail onto the deck and stuffing it into it's sail bag. In this case, 'stuffing' is the nearest we can get to neatly flaking it on our main-deck. It's a wopper. At 90m² our genoa is 2 x the size of our gibsl and 4 x more difficult to flake on deck. It's only 0630 and no sooner am I half-way out of bed in the nuddy than Sue says "You not getting up now are yeah?" "N!" I said "You stay there and I'll drop the genoa on to the deck whilst the wind is calm then come back to bed with a cuppa for yeah" (Am I good or what?)
No sooner am I up, dressed and about to start about the job when Sue's in the cockpit ready for action. Warra a wife eh? Between us the genoa was lowered, flaked, bagged and sitting on our maindeck, ready for transport, and it's breakfast time in the sunshine. Straight after breakfast, made myself presentable, readied for the lifting operation, me in the RIB, wench on the winch, then hey presto our bagged wopping genoa sail is safely sitting in the RIB. There was no room for Sue in the RIB as well so I'm off ashore to deliver the sail to my new friend, Kenny. A kindly marina 'cleaner' (bin-man - a massive local guy with arms like gantry cranes) helped me lift the sail onto his wheel-barrow from the dock to Kenny's sail-lift. Embarrassingly, I had to tell him I had no dosh on me (before the one-wheel on my wagon transfer) but this didn't alter his willingness and keenness to help me, how good is that! My mate Kenny, says our genoa sail will be ready to collect tomorrow afternoon. And
whereas when I first met him he said he was too busy to look at anything for at least a week......... I now know he's a very good sail-repairer and very helpful person who works long hours, was a national sportsman (athletics and soccer) has met John Barnes and has a grown-up family, two sons (19 and 20'odd) and a beautiful daughter (I think he said 23), is himself 53 years of age, borne & bred in St Lucia and is now a leading martial arts specialist. When I return for our genoa tomorrow I am sure to be equally pleased!
This afternoon, we're planning another excursion to the local 'massive' supermarket. This time Sue want's to visit t'other one (the one we didn't go in last time!). WE are thinking we should be able to re-stock well here, even if it means more than one trip for us. WE are being careful, though. There's a lorra local outside the marina on way to and way back from the supermarkets and with certain recent reports of muggins we have eyes in back of 'eds (and a stiff neck looking round everywhere) on guard in case anyone looks like a possible mugger. What's a possible mugger look like anyway? This ain't the movies and I's don't carry a six-shooter!!!!
Early evening.......... all shopping done for today. Very pleasant shopping in a very posh supermarket where all the staff are supa-friendly. No looking over shoulders because the shopping mal is just t'other side of the road from where we park our RIB. Even tipped local to look after RIB. He said not to put lock on. Me says different so lock goes on regardless. No need to be up too early in morning because we have until afternoon before I goes in to collect sail (hopefully!).
Another tough day in the office on board Ticketeeboo. Love to JPF&S and RMS&T xxxxx
Ticketeeboo MMSI 235071989 Callsign 2CED3, Ham callsign = m0hng
At 12/02/2014 15:30 UT our position was 14°04.31'N 060°57.14'W
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