Boat Jobs & House Sitting
06/30/11
BOAT JOBS
We had quite a list of boat jobs when we arrived in Portsmouth and they just kept coming, almost everything on the boat had died or developed a problem - here is the list that needed work .....
main diesel engine, diesel genset, both water tanks require cleaning, both fuel tanks require cleaning, fridge & freezer not working properly, wind generator killed by tornado, solar panels not generating power, dinghy outboard motor not running, battery charger failed, hatches leaking, deck leaking, cockpit dodger leaking, water heater leaking, forward head u/s, fresh water pump dead - even the globes in the lights began to die. Whilst Don was away I emailed and talked to a few diesel mechanics wanting to get someone to look at our high oil pressure problem, preferably someone who had a vague idea of what the problem may be as they charge over $100 per hour. I always received the same reaction - little lady doesn't really know what she is talking about - engines develop low oil pressure not high - you are mistaken - "have another look at the pretty little needle belonging to the oil pressure guage, now when you start the motor see how it stays low - if it were high the pretty little needle would jump over to the far right of the guage - never mind it is an easily made mistake ......" oh boy was I getting fed up and so mad at them - we had high oil pressure not low !!!
I have been cleaning out the water tanks today - oh boy - anyone would have been horrified at the colour of the water - yuk. Best not to describe it in too much detail or we will never get any visitors. I often wonder why people install stainless steel water tanks - the damn things expand and contract and break the welds, we have been lucky so far - no leaks but I am sure the time will come !!
Don began to pull the engine apart to service the oil cooler - when some oil spilled into the bilge - humm - guess who was skinny enough to fit in the tiny gaps therefore had the job of scooping up the mess then scrubbing it out. I did the aft bilge and Don did the forward bilge. The bilge is very clean again and the engine still in thousands of bits.
House Sitting
I have had two house sitting jobs since I have been here. The first was in a large home with swimming pool - it even had a large theatre room, Rich and Shari offered their house to give me time off the boat. It was wonderful although I do become bored easily in someone else's home without my own belongings so I took lots of projects - I even had a bright yellow hummer to drive around in !!!
The second sitting job was at Merry and David's home. I thoroughly enjoyed that one as I had a little dog to keep me company - Tony is a toy poodle - very old and deaf - I was praying he wouldn't expire whilst on my shift - he likes chasing foxes so I kept him inside with me most of the time. I took a sewing machine and material with me to Merry's place and set myself up in the basement and sewed a new boom bag for the boat. Don was away both times I house sat which was a shame as it would have been wonderful to have him there also.
