We are getting closer and closer but slower and slower. Again the wind is
letting us down and the weather systems do all but what should be
expected. We are less than 200 miles from San Francisco and knowing that
we will most certainly be on time for the next race start is quite a
comforting thought. If all goes smoothly (which it doesn't) we will be
in port tomorrow night. A shower finally!!!!!!!
Today was a eventful day. I started off with tinkering about for
about 5 hours with spare fuel pumps (they are the size of a packet of
biscuit) (we do not have a simple handpump on this boat; don't ask why)
a wire stripper some crampon connectors and tools. The aim was to get
the last fuel from our tanks because the fuel transfer pump could manage
it anymore. We (me and skipper) started by taking the engine and
generator apart to get enough fuel hose and connectors for our pumps
(one 12V booster pump and one 24V spare fuel transfer pump). As it is
the case in these emergencies there were no two similar sized connectors
anywhere in the systems on board (who designs this as such, I am sure
there is a lesson to be learned here again) so we just had to stuff
the hoses in the inlet and outlet of the pump. We then tried to find
a power source next to the fuel tanks. We tried the lighting systems and
the echomax bu eventually settled for the spare battery and the 12V pump.
We cleaned the tanks right out! I had not seen the bottom of our tanks
before but they are shiny now that we have emptied them up to the last
milliliter and including the grit and muck that was on the bottom.
In total we managed to get about 80 litres from the tanks: enough for
about 15 hours under engine at a low speed. That should be close to
enough. we have another 50 liters left in jerrycans to make it into or
close to port. When we are close enough a support boat will come and
bring us some more.
Since we do not have that much time in SF we are using the non-sailing
time to clean up the boat. I spent the afternoon cleaning bilges and my
bunk. Bilges was not too bad. But the storage space by my bunk was
horrible. It was wet from condensation and the walls and ceiling were
almost black with mold! Yuk! My clothes are all dry because I keep them
in drybags but the bags themselves were soaking wet on the outside and
covered in some places by a greenish fungus. Thank god we are going to
warmer seas and I am changing to a better ventilated bunk.
Anyway as I thought it would be a good idea to air my sleeping bag a bit
i took all the loose bits out brought in on deck and turned it
inside out over the railing. I thought that would be a good idea as not
to dump the fluff and human waste (hair skin flakes) on deck.
Unfortunately I did not remove my I-pod from the sleeping bag so as I
was turning the bag inside out this little white thing dropped out
into the Pacific ocean. BUMMER!!!!!!!! No more Dutch classics and other
favourite tunes :-( and not much time to sort something out in SF. Maybe
I will do a quick run to the apple store and pick one up if I have
time...
Off to a quiet bunk now...and tomorrow around this time a clean shower
hopefully.
