Another First

This week started out kinda crazy but ended with another first.

  As I said before, we are maintaining lots of stuff on the boat.   The generator, water maker, refrigerator, mainly all of the systems on the boat are requiring constant monitoring and maintenance.  This week was no exception.   We will start taking the boat out of anchorage to check all our navigation and electronics shortly to be prepared for our visitors and our trip north.  

 On Thursday morning, when starting the generator we discovered that the newly installed check valve was in backwards, and therefore, no water could get into the generator to cool it and it shut down.   Kirk was not happy with himself.   Nothing like working  in unbearable heat in cramped quarters to make your mind work at top level.  Kirk was so excited that this new check valve would solve the problem of the generator losing it's prime.  It is not the same kind as we had before and he had high hopes that this might be the ticket.   Ah no....   After correcting the installation of the check valve, the generator held it's prime for one day and then again this morning we had to add water.   Bummer.....   More problem solving for Kirk.

As soon as the generator was up and running,  I was cleaning up morning dishes when water and air started spurting out of the faucet.   Bad sign.   I immediately shut it off and called Kirk who was so very happy to hear that I had found another problem for him to solve.    We were so lucky to discover that the water level gauge was broken and in fact the tanks were empty not half full.   That was quite a shocker, but we were so glad that we did not have a leak.   We searched the boat high and low looking for a leak and would keep bouncing ideas off one another.  Then the job of filling the tanks with the water maker started.  As of today (Saturday)  we are about half way filled.   

Kirk had been working on scrubbing the bottom of the boat from the dingy.   It is a terribly hard job and had been put off for too long.   The bottom of the boat has grass, shrimp, crabs and other sea creatures growing and living in it.  Not to mention the barnacles!!!   It stinks literally from the sea life, and when you disrupt their living conditions they then run into you.   yuk.   We are hiring a diver to do the parts that cannot be reached from the top with snorkel equipment.  

All of this fun stuff was going on after a week of working on the refrigerator only to find out there is nothing we can do with the frig.   Kirk installed an extra fan to keep the condenser unit cooler.   You almost have to be a magician to fit your hand in the space between the frig and the cabinet.  Another fun job.  Yesterday Kirk installed a switch so we can turn the fan off at night (when it is cooler) to save the extra amps during the night.

Ok  Now for the good stuff!!!

One of the nights we did have pretty consistent winds and the wind gen kept the batteries pretty well charged!!!!!   yeah for that one....

Now for the really good stuff,

Last night, during the full moon, we saw a moon bow.   It was fantastic.   We even saw colors at one point.   That was cool.   We also watched for the lunar eclipse but did not really see too much in that way.  The moon bow helped to sooth frazzled nerves as we got poured on in our first attempt at taking the dingy in the full moonlight over to Clarkes Court Marina where Kirk had been invited to play with fellow musicians.   For the first time, I got to see him perform with a plugged in guitar and microphone to sing. I was totally impressed.  

Kirk took this pic with his phone.   Sorry for the grainy look.  We were getting back into the dingy to head to Clarkes Court.

Looking into the space between the frig and the cabinet.  On the top is the newly installed fan, then a dual thermometer and finally the switch.  The cabinet door is off to give you more access.

The vent to allow more air into the space where the compressor is located and more access to work on the frig compressor.

Kirk learning a new song!

New fin holder for when we have guests to store the fins.  It is made out of mesh so they will drain and the rain will wash them before they get put away.