Night
The big Friday night street party in Gros Islet was audible even with earplugs, but just barely. Either the waves have changed, or the prevailing wind has shifted enough to reduce the rolling significantly. I got a long and uninterrupted night’s worth of sleep. Now I can begin my “Zen and the art of boat maintenance” day.
Morning
I need to take care of one last office work item this morning. I’ve got to make and narrate a screen presentation. Although I’d finished the programs and PowerPoint presentation yesterday, I couldn’t narrate it due to the constant creaking of panels and outside noise from the Sandals hotel. I’ll take care of this right now, before life outside gets going again. <finished & uploaded>.
I put everything in the forward head back together and cleaned up the mess. Then I attacked the real project, the toilet in my main cabin head. This had also evidenced a leak prior to my departure earlier this year. I cut up a water jug and added bleach, donned gloves and gave my toilet a thorough disinfecting cleaning. Removing the lid, I saw that the plastic was all cracked and yellowed, so I think I’ll need to replace that regardless. I also got a 4l jug of vinegar yesterday which I’ll use to soak the parts of the toilet to remove limescale. I’m taking a break and updating the blog before checking to see which expensive components are broken and will need replacing at the chandlery.
Lunch
Now that I’m an expert and Jabsco electric toilet disassembly I managed to get this removed within minutes. But unfortunately, the electric macerator pump is extremely corroded. It barely turns when using a screwdriver and when I put power on it just clicks. Or, if I move the shaft around a bit, it rotates about 1/8 of a turn. I just sprayed the area with WD-40 and will let it soak in. Perhaps it will return to normal once I get the rotator functioning again. Otherwise, it is another US$250 boat part. I’m sure I replaced this one about 2 years ago, so I’m not a happy camper. At least I’m glad that I didn’t try using this toilet since my return, that would have been a bit messier if the system had water in it.
I just had a knock on the hull, and it was the marina dockmaster bringing “Charlie” by to clean my hull. The new guy I’d used at the dock had done an inacceptable job. I’d noticed when I moved to this anchorage position that despite using a lot of power the boat didn’t move with the alacrity I’m used to. Diving on the hull showed that the other guy had cleaned the waterline and propellor shaft and not much else. So, I contacted Charlie (via another dockside hustler, Malakai) to do a proper job. I would have used Charlie initially, but he got banned at the docks for a couple of months for some rule infringement.
Mid and late Afternoon
Charlie is still at it, scraping away at the hull. I’ve gotten the motor turning, but it sounds unhealthy, and I can barely turn the rotor by hand so I’m afraid that the motor is shot. I’m trying to get it open to see what the problem might be, but the casing is also corroded and resisting my efforts.
There’s not even hint of a memory of a whisp of potential wind out here. Without a cooling breeze it is very hot and stifling below decks. I’ve the toilet parts soaking in dilute vinegar and will see if I can pry the corroded motor housing apart without damaging the insides.
Charlie finally finished and when he came out, he was shivering and shaking from the cold and exertion. I believe him when he said that the previous job wasn’t really botched – it wasn’t done. Basically, the other cleaner had done my prop and waterline and that was it. I took him ashore and had to take money out of the cash machine in order to pay him for his services. I returned, but rather than go back aboard I continued on to Jambe de Bois. Fortified with a sandwich and a drink I spent an hour chatting with Chris Doyle, a well-known author of Caribbean sailing guides. We’d already me years ago while waiting out some bad weather in St. Kitts.