Itz been far too long since my last update, many reasonz why, but basically life aboard has been a state of limbo with maintenance and repairs consuming all my waking hourz.The generator is still broken with little or no support available from the agents Power Equipment Australia based in Victoria. Long story short the CBU computerized control unit is about 2B removed from the genset and an aftermarket Isuzu analogue control panel ready to be fitted to the troublesome generator.
Many hours and thousands of dollars have been thrown at the generator with zero improvementz to the unit. Itz now thyme to retro fit the new control panel and with any luck the troublesum genset will simply become just another diesel motor aboard.Many of the onboard systems rely on 240 volt power with the refrigeration,washing machine and air conditioner all being offline until the repairz are complete.Daily temps of 35 degrees make life uncomfortable without the air con unit. The freezer uses huge amounts of solar generated power during the day with the wind generators and main motors being used after dark to make 12 volt power that feedz the inverter that runs the freezer.
The aircon unit is set to be replaced with a new unit ready to replace the existing LG unit, this cannot happen until the generator is functioning properly. The lack of 240 volt power is also slowing the repairz to the anchoring system which requires welding to repair the chain link and manufacture a few reef picks that are required for anchoring on reefy bottoms.
The tropical stormz that are now a daily event are causing their own issues with 100 km per hour windz and monsoonal rainz making life "interesting" ! So much so that the yot drags itz anchor during these stormz.While life aboard has slowed to a snail pace this has not stopped the occasional fishing trip to woods inlet just 8 miles away with good fishing but crabbing iz hard work to get a feed.
I've been using this thyme to restore my Felixxer stocks with a base level of 45 litres needed to allow 5 weexs of mellowing of the final product. It doesn't help that I consume a litre per day of my homemade bourbon.Slowly but surely I'm refilling my drumz with 35 litres now in drumz allowing the mellowing period of 5 weeks.
Using the spring tidez that we have at the moment I have "parked" the yot on the beach just in front of the Darwin sailing club. Once the tide went out about a km I proceeded to clean the propellors, rudderz and shafts with paint scraperz and then hydrochloric acid. This should allow at least 3 weex B4 I have to clean them again. Once I put the yot ashore next thyme I'll have some metal primer and anti-fouling to paint the shaftz and props.After several of these stormz and dragging anchors itz thyme 2 move the Yot around the corner to Dinah beach in one of the rivers.
This iz where we first arrived in Darwin with Chris and Tara. A floating boat ramp and parking means this area is much more dinghy friendly, the dinghy motor is overheating with a blocked water gallery in the power head.
Hopefully I can get it repaired soon as I need to row the tinny to the boat ramp.
The Generator is finally ready to go with just a few dayz until everyone closes for Xmas maybe I'll have a working generator for the Xmas New Year break.
Itz easy to forget how good life is with so many broken things at the moment but to watch the afternoon stormz build while hanging in a hammock with a pint of bourbon can't be all bad.
