progress :)

It was a rather chilly (70 degrees) and windy (20 mph) day, so it was a good day to stay in to get some more boat projects tackled.  Donnie started up in the Vberth with our fans.  Both conked out in the last two weeks.  Once the AC was reinstalled, it wasn't really necessary.  It's been a cool northern breeze the last two days, so even the AC hasn't been necessary.  I'd like to say he had victory, but he was one for two.  His side is working; my side gave up the ghost.  I had ordered a new one for the head, which will be delivered this week.  That one willnow go to my side of the bed, and I will reorder another one for the head tomorrow.  I have a few more items I need to get ordered online, anyhow.

While he worked on the Vberth fans, I worked on the salon fans.  I took them apart, gave them a good scrubbing, and oiled them.  They're shining like new, and hum along just fine.  I also emptied the dry storage locker (serving dishes, crackers, chips, and such), to see if we can get at the water leak.  It appears to be a fresh water leak, but it is a minor one at that.  We never noticed it when we used the fresh water from our storage tanks.  However, now that we are hooked up with a hose directly from the dock, the water is pressurized, and it's coming from somewhere.  The thing is, in the Bahamas, fresh water is at a premium, about a $1/gallon.  We will be in 'water conservation mode', and can ill afford to just let it leak out into our bilge. We can carry 100 gallons in three separate tanks, and we just purchased four 5 gallon jerry jugs that we will have lashed to the deck, for an additional 20 gallons of water.  Being a girl, my biggest concern is how I'm going to wash my hair!  It's long, thick, and takes alot of water to get it all rinsed out.  Pops offered to take his clippers to it this evening when we were there for dinner, but I passed.  I've had this long hair for over 30 years...it would take me being heavily drugged to cut it, I'm afraid :/  For those interested in logistics, we can carry 30 galons of diesel in the tank, and two more 5 gallon jerry jugs lashed to the deck, for a total of 40 gallons of fuel. 

Dave came out on the golf cart this morning to make a delivery.  It was my
grate for grilling fish and vegetables on the barbee.  I'm hoping we hook a
black fin tuna or dolphin fish trolling in the Gulf Stream when we cross :)
Mr. Ridiculous immediately jumped in the cart for a ride.

We met up with Kenny & Fran, her sister, Lucille, and husband
Ken, Rich and Edie and Big Ron at Key Fisheries for a
hogfish sandwich for lunch.  Lucille make a better looking
fish than Ken does a mermaid- sorry, Ken! lol

After lunch, we parted company, and Donnie and I ran errands.  We went to West Marine to by a replacement CO2 cartridge for one of our lifevests.  I also need to order some more Skyblazer hand held flares that go in our 'heavy duty' survival life vests that Dave and Diane bought us years ago.  While at West Marine, Donnie looked at an amp meter to test the output of the wind generator, but decided against buying for today.  When we got back, Dave brought down his battery load tester to test each of the four batteries.  Donnie fears our bank of batteries may be weak, if not shot, as when he checked them yesterday, they each required nearly a half gallon of distilled water- not a good sign.  If this is the case, B.reak  O.ut  A.nother  T.housand (yet again).  I'm obsessively checking the bank account register these days- geesh. We'll know the verdict when he tests each one individually in the morning.

From West Marine, we went to Napa to get fuel filters and a gallon of oil for Bessie.  Giving the engine new filters and changing the oil is also on the to-do list.  I'm not sure if he'll get to it tomorrow or not.  Lord knows, I'm no good in that department, though I truly need to learn.  Maybe I should stick around, observe, and hand tools for that job.

While we were out, we also checked in to a local dentist down here, as Donnie has now lost two crowns since we left after Christmas.  The estimate for replacements, repairs, or pulling out what remains of one tooth was likely another B.O.A.T., which was too disheartening since we no longer have dental insurance.  The one tooth certainly needs addressed though, before we leave for the Bahamas.  It's already tender, and the last thing we need to deal with is an abcessed tooth in a foreign country.

I dropped Donnie off at Marquesa, and went back to the grocery.  The larder needed filled. We have a going away party tomorrow for Sandy (one gallon Don's wife), a beach party on Thursday, and Ellie bug comes on Friday. (I'm so excited!)  I came home, cleaned the fridge all out, made salsa, sliced up three quarts of strawberries, packaged some meat for the wee little freezer, and made a pot of chicken and dumplins to take to Mac & Jean's tonight.  I  baked a batch of brownies at their condo for dessert.  

While I worked in the galley, Cap'n was busy with an electrical job in the
cockpit.  He installed a remote speaker for the VHF radio.  This way, we
can listen and monitor Ch 16 while we are underway.  This is the channel
for hailing boats, is in a cruise ship or freighter who may pick us up on
their radar with our new radar reflector.  We will be visually keeping a
lookout, of course, but we don't want to get plowed over on the ocean! We
will keep in touch with Matt & Karie on our handheld on another channel.
Going to the expense of purchasing a radar for Marquesa did not make the
list of priorities this year- we went with a new chartplotter and EPIRB instead.

I colored my hair and did laundry while we were at Mac and Jean's.  Once I
made up our bed in the Vberth, I set about putting all of our clean clothes away.
 I turned to find silly Willy had crawled into the laundry bag.  He ended
up falling asleep in there for the next two hours.  He's beyond ridiculous.

And as I am blogging in bed, this is what I have next to me. He thinks
 he owns the bed.  I know, he's the most photographed feline. Ever.
Ridiculous, but we love him.  G'nite, y'all!