Getting to know you

Since my last posting it has been unbearably hot here.......35 degrees and humid and 25-ish at night and still humid. To make matters worse, the aircon in our cabin hasn't been working and it has been getting up to 30 at night in there. I never thought that aircon was a necessary part of boating, but here it is! Apparently the temperatures are breaking all kinds of records right across the country. It has also been BITO from the SSW, which here makes it hotter, so we have just been out shopping every day to stay in the cool stores, and have become one of Walmarts most valued customers over this week.


On Wednesday I finally had enough of asking my computer to do something, then having to go away for 10 minutes while it considered my request, so I lashed out and bought a new laptop (from Walmart, of course), and everything happens so much quicker now. We have bought tools and cooking utensils and cutlery and all sorts of stuff, and yesterday bought the wireless printer to go with the new laptop for $49 (from Walmart, of course).


It has also been a time of exploration, not only of the vicinity, but also the boat. It is a big boat with lots of gear and many places are hard, if not impossible, to access. This is made more difficult by the boat’s layout turning out to be quite different from the layout drawings in the manual and from Hilary and Berts 453 over in Lake St Claire. For example, I have deduced that the holding tank must be under the master bed from where the pipes run, but do you think I can find a way to get to it? While this may seem trivial, the problem is the gauge that tells how full it is ain’t working, so I can’t tell when we need a pump out.

I have found the fresh water tanks are under the bed as well, even though the manual says they are supposed to be under the guest bed, up forward.

Today its a lot cooler and I have been able to get out and check out a few more things on the boat, beginning with the aircon. I reckon the intake filters have never been cleaned since the boat was launched. They were just thick with dust and hopefully this will be the cause of the poor peformance. We got to check out the central vac to clean them and that works OK. The washing machine wont take in any cold water, only hot. I think the cold hose is kinked behind the machine, so it will have to come out to free it up (or at least check that it’s OK). One of the shower sump pumps for the master shower (there are 2) didn’t work and was gunked up like you wouldn’t believe! I cleaned it out and off it went, which is just as well because I would have had to take the other one out to clean or service it. We have taken to using the shower in the guest bathroom as the spout on the bath leaks during use and the pressure at the showerhead is kind of abysmal. I will either take it of and see if I can fix it, or just remove it altogether as I can’t see us ever having a bath on this boat!One of the bilge pumps operates continuously on “manual”, so its float switch must be jammed. The windlass hadn’t worked since we started, but today I took a closer look with my glasses on at the circuit breaker......... and turned it on. It works now (duhoh)!

I put the outboard on the dinghy today, as well. I had bought new fuel for it in Mlwaukee as I suspect it was the original tankfull when it was bought 2 years ago. It looks like it hasn’t been run much since then and, of course (but not surprisingly) it won’t start.

And we haven't even started on the planned projects, like the namechange, inverter, anchor replacement etc , yet.

TTFN

PS This was written last night but we had a few teething problems with new laptop vs WiFI (another learning experience). We went to a West Marine store in Winthrop Harbor for marine bits today and I also visited a couple of music stores as I am starting to suffer from guitar withdrawal. Carolyn did Walmart again. I still don't know where the holding tank is, or how full it is, so discretion being the better part of cowardice, we will go to the fuel dock and pump out tomorrow. It is still pleasant, but overcast.