And They're Off...

 

We were awake on and off all night, anxious to start the day and a new passage. We still had a few chores to do before we left like topping off the water tanks and making the last trash disposal run. We readied for departure, cast off the dock lines and slipped out of the berth into the millpond calm marina channel. Richard and Adrienne popped their heads out and shouted goodbye. Dolphins accompanied us down the channel … a sailor's good luck sign.

It was overcast and grey, cool with intermittent showers which drenched us at times. There was no dampening our spirits though. Before I knew it, we were out of the cut and into the Gulf of St. Vincent. I was stowing fenders and coiling up lines.

David found the bottle of rum and we paid homage to Neptune, thanking him for his past protection of ship and crew and asking him to continue to oversee us on this new passage from Adelaide to Perth. We were smiling at each other like kids in a candy store. David looked relaxed and pleased to be at the helm again. Nine of Cups is back at sea.

A Few Hiccups...

...or the best laid plans of mice and men

Did I say we were whittling down the chore list and were “on schedule” for our departure? Did I really say that … out loud? Shame on me. I know better. Neptune was obviously listening and as a result, we've had a few hiccups over the last day or so.

The life raft was sent out for certification and though it might do for another year, it was in rough shape and marginal. We've never needed it, but we'd hate to find out it was on the wrong side of “marginal” as we were climbing into it. We bought a new one (ouch!) and it was just delivered. It fits in the current mounting cradle, but needs a new harness. Put that on the to-do list.

The ditch bag is ready to go, but the handheld watermaker didn't operate properly, so we sent it out for repair. Bad news … it's fubar'ed … new one on order. (double ouch!) Waiting to get confirmation of the shipping date, but it won't hold us up as a friend in Port Lincoln is going to accept delivery for us. It hurts the budget, but not the sched.

Ah, but the biggie … after all of David's hard work re-insulating the fridge and re-doing the galley … the compressor on the fridge/freezer gave up the ghost yesterday. It's a goner. Adler-Barbour is no longer making that model and getting replacement parts is a challenge. It does not appear they're available in Australia, so we're looking for alternate solutions including the possibility of a small 12V camping type fridge/cooler that will get us by for a few months. We need to be somewhere long enough that we can have parts delivered and David has the time to work on the replacement fridge. Right now the schedule to go across the Great Australian Bight is more time critical than refrigeration. We don't have an extra month to spare.

Okay, Neptune, you win. We will go with the flow. We will work hard and get ready, but we promise not boast about anything. We will get things repaired and prepared. We will be patient (as if).

Man, you'd think we lived on a boat or something!!

A Pink View of Blue Projects

 

Just wanted to give you an idea of how blue's projects affect pink's day(s). Even big boats are small when there's a project going on. Floorboards come up. Supplies and tools emerge in great quantity. Every flat surface is occupied. Settee cushions are thrown aside and locker doors remain open. Some parts of the boat are totally inaccessible … the head, the galley, the saloon (sometimes all of them) for some indeterminate period of time. You can only pray it's not overnight and if it is, perhaps not too many overnights.

Now, I do appreciate that projects and chores require doing and David is always willing to do them. I'm not a whinger … really. I'm a realist … we wouldn't be floating if the chores and projects didn't get done. I used to be a bit OCD … a place for everything and everything in its place … all the time. But now ... this is how it is when David works on a project below decks and I've learned to deal with it.

Sometimes there's more than one project in progress at a given time. This makes sense when you consider primer has to dry here, paint has to dry there, epoxy needs to kick, etc. and you might as well start another project while waiting to continue on the current one.

Actually, even if he's working topside, the mess below grows and grows because it's not only a hassle putting everything away if you're going to need it all again tomorrow, it's also very time consuming. And when it comes to boat chores and getting ready to leave … who's got extra time?

Once in awhile, things are all neat and orderly, but it's rare... usually only when someone comes for a visit. Otherwise, there's always something to work on and the boat always seems to be in some sort of upheaval. Once we leave the marina and we're on passage, everything gets stowed properly … till we're on a heel or get caught up in a squall, that is … then it finds its own space.