Oh Noes

Our port engine still isn’t right. WW managed to find the source of a water leak into the engine bilge, but the transmission fluid leak is more serious. Much head-down-in-dark-smelly-places activity. Diagnosis: sail-drive seal needs replacing.

How, you ask, gripped by the drama, does one replace a sail-drive seal? Ah, well. You go to Jolly Harbour and get the boat pulled out for a couple of hours while mechanically competent persons ponder and proceed. Great news for all fervent lovers of Jolly Harbour.

On Friday, WW called Carl who ordered the part. Then they tried to arrange a time for the haul out. Well, we had a birthday picnic with Pimm’s on the beach for Sunday, I was due to spend Monday and Tuesday helping friends prepare for the Tot Club’s Chinese New Year celebrations on Tuesday evening, and the next batch of Eager Crew were due on Wednesday. We mulled over WW going up with someone as crew on Monday but, given the vagaries of boat repair, we couldn’t guarantee he’d be back by Wednesday. We finally decided that taking our visitors to watch the boat being hauled would be an exciting novelty for them. (When boating, fantasy is an occasional necessity.)

We duly celebrated the Pimm’s party. Very nice with, perhaps, too much sun. We also duly celebrated Chinese New Year chez our dear friends Les and Anthea. I made the starters – dumplings and spring rolls -- and provided the dragon.

Anthea hanging Chinese lanterns in a New Yearsy spirit.

Dragon from Montreal's Chinatown. Much admired.

Charlie and Rachel at Chinese New Year

Diane, Anthea, Charlie and Rachel at Chinese New Year

Mark and Joe at Chinese New Year

Moya and Jenny at Chinese New Year

Annie and Len at Chinese New Year

Our guests Margaret and David arrived on Wednesday and turned out to be mind-bogglingly prepared to enjoy absolutely anything, up to and including watching the boat get hauled. Carl told WW the part was in Puerto Rico and he hoped it would arrive the next day. Our new engine saga was under way.