Progress? Don't be silly!
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Mon 20 Aug 2012 09:03
'He's just picking up parts.'
At 1030 I call Martin.
'He'll be there by 1pm'
1130 I saw Martin....'Are you coming today to fix the fuel leak?''
'What fuel leak?'
'The one Smiley told you about on Friday'
'Yeah yeah, I'll be there.'
'Right. Both engines running by Thurs or else.'
Return to boat and write letter of complaint to the club committee. Email it, Romena prints it off and I sign it.
3pm, a mere two hours late, electrician arrives. Wires in one new ignition system and low pressure warning light. Tries to start the engine.
It again turns over OK and almost starts, just as long as the key is in the start position!
'It won't start, there's a fuel leak and we've disconnected the fuel pipe from the engine driven fuel pump'
Electriian calls Martin, who arrives around 5pm. They fart around in the dark with a torch. Engine doesn't start. Martin will return at 10am tomorrow. Not 0800 or earlier, but 10am. Oh yes, today he was working on another boat.
Depending on what time he turns up, I will be lodging a formal complaint with the Fiji Marine association tomorrow or Wednesday. Then I'll try to get a visa extension, supported by a letter from the club. If successful, this will cost me F$660 and is good for 12 months. Checking the paperwork, the boat is good until November 22nd BUT, cyclone season starts on November 1st. The latest I will leave Fiji is early October and it would take me around two weeks to get to Australia direct, so I think I'm into getting an extension for the boat, if they will grant it. This engine is very reluctant to start and I haven't seen the 'bits' from the other one yet. Not to mention the anchor windlass still does not work, the masthead lights have not been wired up, the autopilot hasn't been connected or tested and the shower sump pum has given up the ghost.
Just possibly the Commodore will kick ass, but even so I will need a personal visa extension because I'm not setting off without making sure all the boat systems are as good as they can be.
To top it all, my new coffee peculator disintegrated. Naturally, I have thrown the receipt away.
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