There is something magical about the wind and the way it fills the sails and pushes the boat through the water. This was one possible reason why our decision to continue with our journey was made. Peer pressure was another deciding factor. Failure to continue would result in future regret and we would find ourselves sitting ten years down the line going, “we should have done it that time when we had the chance.” Lola and I discussed the future of our trip a few times. Each time the discussions landed in the same place and seemed to go in a circle. Actually we never really discussed the option of not going but rather found ourselves saying we have to upgrade the batteries and sort out the reefing problems. We have to install an inverter and fix the water tanks. Then we would look at each other and one of us would say, “so it seems we are going on then.” The other would shrug and say “I’m not sure.” Then the conversation went back to the solar panels, batteries and inverter.
When we arrived here we had to empty the starboard bilge. Since we have no fresh water tanks on board I didn’t have to taste the foul stuff to know it was salt water. It seems to leak only when we motor. So I started the motor and tried to find the leak. The leak appeared to be a pipe under the impellor. I disconnected the pipe and taped it up throwing in a rubber o-ring seal for good measure. This didn’t solve the leak and I then discovered it was coming from behind the impellor housing. It took about four hours to unbolt the housing since the designer placed the bolts behind the engine mounts. I must have wished he would get a cramp in his ass a million times before I eventually got the thing of. A guy named Malcolm here at the bluff yacht club gave me a hand, well actually he took over completely and stripped the thing into parts. He took a look at the seals and they were broken. The shaft is also pitted and will have to be replaced. Once this is fixed hopefully we don’t have to bucket the water out of the bilge again.
The battle that we have been raging from about day one is still not won. Solar panels and batteries. Our batteries are just not able to keep up with the ever hungry power drawing beast of a fridge. The manufacturer claims that it runs at about one amp on standby and five amps whilst the compressor runs. They also claim that the current draw averages at about one and a half amp per hour. Lies, lies and more lies is all I can say. The beast runs at about five amps on standby and draws nine when the compressor switches on. The thought of tossing the thing overboard has crossed my mind on multiple occasions. But I haven’t so it appears as if we will have to add more solar panels, possibly double our current wattage, to feed the hungry beast.
2 May 2012
Right now I hate the F****g boat. They are designed to drain your bank account and demoralise your spirit. Our power problems are still not sorted. This morning Lola had to cook all our meat in the freezer because it all defrosted. The raw water pump that we stripped the other day has a pit mark in the shaft exactly where the seal fits. Volvo will not sell you a shaft so you have to buy an entire pump. Then they want you to sell your soul to the devil to be able to afford the new pump. It just makes me sick.
We are carting plus minus twenty litres of water per day onto the boat for drinking water and to wash dishes. We can’t brush our teeth, shower or use the bathroom on the boat since we have no water tanks. So every afternoon we get on the dingy, motor over to the yacht club, fill the jerry cans with water, brush our teeth and have a shower. Then we motor back to the boat and do nothing. I need to get the jobs ticked off the list so that we can move. It’s very difficult without power to get anything done, and as usual everything takes forever to do.
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| Sunrise Entering Durban Harbour |
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