A Series of Mechanical Repairs in Exotic Places...

Two days ago I got trashed in the dinghy while trying to re-launch it in a north swell on Cinnamon Bay beach. Spike and I both got "Maytaged", as my whitewater friends would say, but while we both made out OK, the dinghy came out missing the fuel line, an oar blade, and some other miscellaneous gear. Since any retry would have probably obtained the same outcome, Spike and I ended up swimming through the surf zone and out to the boat in the dark. It became much easier to swim with him once he saw the boat, as then I could let him go, since he stopped trying to get back to shore and swam with me to the boat. Poor little guy - he was scared to death. It was no big deal retrieving the dinghy in the morning, since by then the north swell had peaked and was diminishing. I had to paddle it instead of rowing, and I can tell you for sure that rowing an inflatable tub is a lot more practical than trying to paddle it single handed.

So, I'm hoping that a new fuel line will get the outboard up and running again, and since it's Good Friday in the islands, I don't even attempt to get a ride to a store. But, this morning, I promptly hike over to the dollar bus and get a ride to Crown Bay Marina, where I actually find the hose with the fittings which I need. Sweet - now all I have to do is rinse the engine with fresh water, douse it in WD-40, and then start it up.

Of course, when I remove the engine cowling, I get a big surprise - the compartment is packed completely full of sand. Sorry I didn't take a picture - I was just too overwhelmed at the time. Now, this is not merely normal sand, which would be bad enough. It is St John sand, a fine white concoction of Parrot Fish poop which some tourist council cleverly labeled as "powdery". And indeed it is powdery - it clings to every surface like over cooked rice. I finally realize that the best tool I have on board is a Super Soaker loaded with fresh water. The funny thing is that I told Judy we didn't have room for silly toys like that ;-) After several gallons of precious fresh water, it looks much better, and after almost a full can of WD-40, it looks almost like an outboard engine that is even older than my boat, because it is. However, despite my efforts, which take all afternoon, the engine shows no sign of life. The good news is that it does have spark and good compression, so tomorrow I'm probably going to have to tear into the carburetor. Anyways, I'll keep you posted.

But, the weather and the views are great, and this evening I shared happy hour with a couple whom Judy and I met at Benures Bay in the BVI a couple of months ago. This is the cruising life, warts and all ;-)