Dressing up the satellite system and laundry day

Monday 2 Nov, HHN, boat winterizing day 33:
Oh boy, it’s cold this morning! Hard to get out of the snug nest in the aft cabin. But at least I’m safe and well, after the police drama that unfolded under the boat last evening. My usual morning cycle ride to the toilets made it clear it will be indoor jobs only today. Oh … and I must research how to get a heater installed on my bicycle, or get the hell out of here before the real winter arrives.

During the morning, I remove the satellite transceiver and all its wiring from behind the nav-station panel. At the same time I give all that area a good clean. The system comes out OK and looks like new once given a dust down. It even still have those clear plastic protectors over the display. I polished the dome yesterday, and that came up looking new too. So just the minor corrosion on the dome base to repaint, then we are good for Ebay. Anyone interested in a lightly used Thrane & Thrane Sailor 250 Fleet Broadband system? Still $,6000 in the shops. I’ll be happy to sell for 1/6th of that. The only annoying parts is the handset cable. The outer rubber casing of this coiled cable has gone brittle and falling apart. So I’ll need to get a new one, otherwise it uglifies the whole system. I looked on Ebay for other similar used units and it seems they all have this problem with the handset cord. Built-in obsolesce, Mr. Thrane & Thrane?

Next task is to replenish certain items of clothing (I’ve run out of clean underwear!). So it’s off to the launderette in Deale. There is a laundry in the marina but we have found their machines do everything but clean the clothes. Now, I maybe good with my hands and quite practical but doing the laundry is normally Oana’s specialty. I usually just run around acting as her lacky, helping her with the bags, but never actually managing the process. But how difficult can it be, uh? Well, error number 1 …. I put too much soap suds in and the wash was still soapy on the last rinse. So all had to go back in for another wash, sud-less this time. Got there in the end. At least it was nice and warm in there. I wonder if they would let me sleep there 😊

While I have Ray’s car, I also take the leaking heat exchanger and the Satellite dome base to Eric at his mechanical engineering workshop here. He is going to “re-sweat” the exchanger. Apparently, that means re-solder it. He also has a mini sand blaster to take the paint off the dome. And for a treat I get to hear a few of his stories from his time on active Marine Core duty in the Middle East and his subsequent views on the region. I won’t expand!

My evening is spent searching the internet for the part number and potential suppliers for a replacement handset cable. Then send off 8 emails to various suppliers. “Throw enough mud at a wall and some will stick”! Hopefully, I will get some positive responses tomorrow. Though I’m bracing myself for some ridiculous price tag.

That was my day. A bits & pieces day.