Monday 2 Mar, Jamaica day 8, Port Antonio: Between laundry room and under the bed sorting out the swim platform hydraulic hoses, it’s a very busy day for me, while Oana is still out for the count.
Oana is slightly more conscious this morning, but still has a constant headache. And like the last few days she ends up trying to rest in the saloon, but unable to find a comfortable position.
To kill time, I go gather the laundry and head off to the machines in the marina. Washing machines turns out to be only one machine that actually works. And even then, I’m told to come back in an hour because there is no city water at the moment. So 4 loads of laundry end up taking me most of the day to complete, in between break downs and waiting for the water pressure to return.
In-between washing loads, and while I have the aft berth mattress up, I start the next project. The swim platform. Around the time I jammed my finger in the door, the hydraulics seems not to be operating properly. I soon find the cause: the small reservoir attached to the hydraulic pump is below minimum. But what fluid to fill it with? I have 3-4 types of hydraulic fluid on board but no maintenance manual for this GECEA hatch-lift. A quick call to their office in Sweden, and they tell me all I need to know. Good old ATF (automatic transmission fluid) will suffice. Once topped up it works a treat again.
Now, while I’m under the berth, I think about painting the inside of the hull under the aft locker with sound-proofing paint which I bought in USA. The idea being to dull down the sound of water lapping under the stern. The challenge is that in order to access the space, I have to crawl through a hole in our cabin bulkhead next to the steering gear. And the hole is only about the size of my chest! Very claustrophobic. To prepare, I go in there to give it a clean before painting.
Almost immediately that I’m in there, I notice that the hydraulic hoses for the swim platform have got themselves caught in the actuator arm. So both hoses are stretched and severely kinked. But amazingly, they don’t leak at the kinks. Also, the cabling for the davits and the solar panels are about to do the same thing. So the painting job gets second priority: this mess needs sorting out PDQ! (pretty damn quick). It’s tricky to get at. I need to wriggle my whole body up into the space hoping I have put all the tools I need – otherwise it’s wriggle out and wriggle in again! Which I’m already doing a lot of just going back and forth to the laundry every 30 minutes! It’s also damned hot in there and I soon can’t see from perspiration running down my face. Plus my bare back is now itching like crazy due to rubbing on the glass fiber. Phffff! Boats, who needs them, eh?
Long story short, I manage to unkink and strengthen the hydraulic hoses and ty-wrap the hoses and cabling so there is no way for the actuator arm to catch them again. And, I’ll have to do this all again when I’m in a place where we can have new hoses made. Finally, by 7pm, the job is finished, the bed remade complete with clean bedding, and time to have a nice drink in the cockpit.
And meanwhile, all day, Oana has continued to have a very bad head ache and just cannot get comfy. She says she is in pain everywhere! There are more than a few tears from her during the day. I hope to goodness she will have turned the corner tomorrow morning. Otherwise we’ll have to call the doctor again.
1 comment
Not laundry, that’s the worst duty. No washing machines and how much a day is that slip cost? Two must haves in a marina, good showers and a working available washer and dryer.
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