Later we took a dip and while Sandy was chasing cuttlefish, I continued cleaning the hull and propeller. With the journey ahead, even half a knot more efficiency could cut the trip by 4 days. It’s going to be a stop and go trip anyway so who would ever know? It just seems better to start clean.
Actually the anti ant campaign is no small effort. Lockers have been stripped, cleaned, sprayed and baited. Still the little demons wander around as though they own the place. Poisons have been dripped strategically with the box’s assurances that they will take it back to the nest and kill their comrades. Huh! The ingenious little squatters seem to be building barricades around the drips, and it’s looking very much as if they’re using bits of boat to do it.
Now the best wisdom the internet can provide has been brought to the front line. There are little bottle caps dotted around the place. Some have Borax mixed with peanut butter for the ones that like protein. Others have Borax and honey, Borax with jam, Borax with condensed milk, and she even made them a batch of biscuits, with Borax. I think the plan now is to start an obesity epidemic so they’ll die of strokes and heart attacks. I know she’ll miss them when they’re gone.
There is so much clutter on the decks we really don’t need. Two rusty old bikes with flat tyres and no chains. A kayak we will seldom use. It might be better to carry a good inflatable one that can be stowed easily. Eight multi-coloured, faded jerry cans. A ‘spare’ 25hp outboard motor that is way too heavy, powerful and thirsty for a small inflatable dinghy. All this is lashed to the decks. Our ship will be greatly improved without it all.
We’ve drawn up a list of projects to tackle once we get to Chesapeake and divided them into ‘have to’ and ‘seriously should’.
Top of the list is ground tackle (anchors and chain). Along with a redesigned and built bow roller system, we need a much heavier anchor and new chain. The current one will become a backup. Fuel and water tanks will get pumps, valves and gauges along with a few repairs. The davits need improving so dinghy launching and recovery is straight forward. We need to do something about our energy system. Running the generator for 2 ½ - 3 hours morning and evening is crazy. We may need more batteries along with some solar panels and maybe even a wind generator. More practical sail management is also a must, and a dinghy to replace the patched up leaky, oversized, temperamental ‘thing’ we’re making do with now.
Not bad for starters, and that’s before Sandy draws up her list of cosmetic improvements, which I’ve been advised are just as important!
Just when we were feeling sorry for ourselves with all that’s ahead, we heard a call on channel 16.
“Port Security, Port Security, Port Security... this is Lady D, Lady D, Lady D... we’re taking on water fast and need urgent assistance. We’re in North Sound”.
That treacherous North Sound again, the scene of our grounding nearly 2 weeks ago.
“Lady D, where are you in North Sound and where are you headed? What type of vessel are you and how many people on board?”
“Port Security we are west of Booby Point, we’re a 52 foot power cruiser with 8 on board.”
“Which way are you headed, can you see where the water is coming from, and what is the nature of assistance you require?”
“We’re sinking! The engines are nearly submerged so I’ve turned them off. We need a boat with a high volume pump immediately...”
Very crackly “Port Security this is (name indistinct). We’ve heard their call and are headed out of Camana Bay to render assistance. We do not have a pump on board. Do you have coordinates?”
“Thank you... xxxxxxx? No coordinates, but west of Booby Point. Please report back when you have a visual on Lady D. We are notifying 911 to alert all emergency services.”
This is the CORKER! Port Security called the police boat. The response?
“Sorry Port Security. We’re on crowd control duty at Rum Point and are unable to leave to render assistance...!”
Eight people including 2 children on a boat that is sinking fast , and they can’t leave crowd control duty??
Well, the 8 people were taken off by the good Samaritan out of Camana Bay, but Lady D went down.
Suddenly our boat issues seem so minor.
Just another day in paradise...