Friday 21 December, Jolly Harbour Marina: Dealing with the police, changing the hydraulic oil, re-installing the vang and post yard tidy-up.
Today’s priority is to recover the vang from Antigua Rigging over in Jolly Harbour. It is not serviced yet, and when we call Stan again to inquire on updates, he informs us that the seal kit still has not arrived on the island. And even if it happens to arrive, customs will not clear in due time due to slow down in their activity for Christmas. Great. We need to get it back today.
Just as Glen was on the phone, there is a knock on the hull. A very somber faced Jesse and a police officer are on the jetty. Hm, how weird. When Glen comes out, we instantly find out why police is here.
Two days ago, Glen asked Jesse for the final invoice of the jobs he performed (chemical strip, sanding, InterProtect and antifoul). With the clear comment that we are expecting to be invoiced for only one coat of antifoul, since Glen painted the second coat himself. To that, Jesse’s immediate reply was “this is the final invoice, and it’s non-negotiable”, and the amount was the full original quote. We replied explaining why Glen chose to finish the antifoul himself (“ribs” look on the hull, too much paint wasted etc). No reply to that one in two days.
So this morning we prepared the cash for him, for what we felt was right, and Glen was about to walk over to Jesse’s workshop to discuss the matter and pay. But before we managed to go, Jesse has brought the police to the boat claiming we were “refusing to pay him”. And there we are, on the jetty, disputing the amount and explaining to the police officer our arguments. Jesse’s only argument was that he gave us an estimate and we agreed to it. To him, it didn’t matter that the job was not completed as in the estimate, he wanted the full amount.
As an observer to the dispute (although I did have my saying too, I have Latin blood after all) I couldn’t stop noticing the officer’s body language. He was almost giggling to the situation: Jesse claiming Glen refused to pay, and Glen with cash in hand and a written note ready to give to Jesse. And after having enough of listening, the police officer suggests Jesses to take the money we have prepared for him. And if he wants more to go see a lawyer. Well, a lawyer would cost more than the amount he claimed from us. So he takes the money.
He did act quite professional during the disputes, he didn’t lose it at all. Neither did Glen. It all ended amicably (sort of), with Jesse’s last words “I will not do business with you ever again”. Like we wanted to ask him for other jobs. I don’t think so! I mean, who would dream of paying US$740 to apply one coat of antifoul? It took him 2 hours and it was Glen who did the preparation!
The rest of the morning we discuss the matter, and mostly how ridiculous it was of him to involve the police when the easiest way to settle the matter was to reply to our comments in the email. Or come and see us directly. He must’ve thought we would get intimidated by police presence. Well, bad news. We can’t stand to be taken for fools.
Back to the vang situation, we try to organize transport for it. Stan won’t deliver, taxi would cost $US50, and hire car $US55. So we booked a hire car. That way we can also take our spare hydraulic oil and ask their opinion if it’s good or we need to buy some fresh.
Surprisingly, today it is not a rent-a-wreck, but a clean car, not beaten up and with clean seats.
At Antigua Rigging we pick up the vang and buy some oil. Stan wasn’t around and neither was a technician. Glen wanted to ask their advice on the best way the bleed the current hydraulic oil from the vang and backstay pistons.
While there, we have a wander through Catamaran Marina to see what boats are new. And we are shocked to see a demasted Hallberg-Rassy. Such a sad sight. And if a seal kit for vang is difficult to source here on the island, we wonder how challenging and expensive would be the sourcing of a new Selden mast. 🙁
A nicely varnished boat catches our eyes, with the job clearly in progress. It was very neatly masked off. The owner was onboard and we chat to him about the type of varnish and who performs the job. He is very happy with the quality of the job, but the discussion concludes with his advice “while you are in the tropics, just strip all the varnish off and leave it bear wood”. Hm…
Back at Cloudy Bay, we start by clearing the deck under the vang. We’ll fit it back, so the Parasailor and canvas which are now up there need to go back inside the forward cabin. But for the Parasailor to fit, the asymmetric needs to agree to give it some space. We tried to pack it smaller inside the boat, unsuccessfully. So out it comes, on the jetty, for a proper folding. There we are, with the entire length of spinnaker spread on the jetty, while a British owned Oyster comes in and moors up, trying not to step all over our sail.
The spinnaker itself wouldn’t be that big volume wise, if it wasn’t for the stupid sock that Rolly Tasker made for it: its solid fabric, not breathable. So it collects all the air inside and the packed asymmetric looks like a balloon. We do manage to get most of the air out, by rolling it one bit at a time and Glen lying on every section to make it flat. Quite a sight we were.
At last, in it goes, significantly smaller than it came out. Now it no longer takes half of the bow cabin. And it’s a pleasure to squeeze the Parasailor through the hatch (just) and put it on the other side of the bed and still have a fair amount of space left to store other canvas. Brilliant!
Then on to the dirty job, changing the hydraulic oil for the vang and backstay system, as recommended by a fellow HR skipper. We now think dirty oil may be our issue with the vang.
The hydraulic oil reservoir is in the cockpit locker. Boxes of stored items need to come out, we don’t want any oil leaks on them. Then the tedious job of emptying the reservoir of the old oil without spilling any. When we open the lid and look inside, it is rather dark. Not black, but surely gray enough with lots of bits in it. Certainly time for a change.
Turns out fitting the cockpit LED strip under the boom yesterday was quite good timing. While performing this current activity, Glen is quite happy with the boom lights. Very appropriate for the currently required “ambiance”, he says. Surgery room lights indeed, we see on the bottom of the hydraulic reservoir to the last detail 🙂 Good investment these LEDs. But how many jobs like this will we have, and how many evenings of just wanting soft light? :). We have to save our pennies and buy a dimmer!
Once the reservoir is drained we clean it to perfection then add a small quantity of new oil (Rotella 32). First, Glen flushes the lines to the vang and backstay, purging them of old oil. Then he reconnects both pistons and pumps them to the extreme then releases them a few times. This purged the cylinders of any old oil, back into the reservoir. The reservoir is then emptied again and filled with new oil. Lines are again purged, then connect to the pistons and check. All good. Finally the vang is connected back to the mast foot and boom. Followed by a final clean up of all the old oil, rags etc. Good to get all that off the boat!
Now that almost everything is out of the cockpit locker, perfect timing to have a sort out and a tidy up. Glen manages to make space for all the items we still have scattered around all over the cockpit, mostly left over materials after the yard time. After which we have a very tidy and civilized cockpit again. Bliss!
For some cheering up, we fancy a bit of chocolate. And while taking it out of the day fridge, I glance at the the fridge thermometer: 17degC. Check the ice in the freezer compartment – all melted. Bloody hell, the day fridge has stopped working. Must be a leak in one of the recent joints brazed by Philmore 🙁
Are our troubles and work ever going to end? People are out at the bar, we hear them giggling and enjoying themselves, and we change hydraulic oil and have fridges to worry about. Not to mention that we were contemplating to drive back to English Harbour for a good night out in Abracadabra… not going to happen.
Instead, Glen goes under the galley floor boards again, cursing. “I knew if I tie-wrap all the wires and pipes, something will stop working”. And on this note he unties everything related to the day fridge. The leak, as suspected, is in one of the brazed joints. Glen finds it with washing up soap on a sponge. At least it’s nothing wrong with the compressor itself. But makes us wonder how long all the other brazed joints will last.
There are two things on this boat that consistently challenge us it seems: refrigeration and the generator. Both vital pieces of equipment for us.
Then back out on the decks to cool off, Glen starts washing down the cockpit. It’s quite late by now but he is determined to clean it of all the dust we collected in the yard. As one thing leads to another, he gradually moves on the back deck, then leathering all stainless steel fittings… And when he was in full swing it seriously rains. He’s soaked, but he continues with washing the boat despite the rain. Actually he likes it this way – it cleans off all the tap water which has high calcium content here.
It’s 1am now, Cloudy Bay is clean and we are nearly ready to crash in bed after another eventful day.
