Well we probably forgot - it's just like us
you leave out one small detail - and people complain.
But what with the cost of diesel now at over $1.80 a litre
it could be a real option to consider.
 

 
Since I reported to you the other day about our call out to rescue the drifting yacht - you wouldn't believe it - but yesterday, Sunday - there was another one - even more difficult and dire than the first.   It was a large 50' Steel yacht that Cliff & Wes were attempting to tow from the shipyard - down the channel and out to a mooring near me.   Well I got the phone call about 4pm from Wes saying the dinghy they were using to tow it out had broken down - and they were in the mud at the side of the channel.
 
This International Rescue business is almost becoming a full time job - but having learned from the last one - this time I took the red Pride Runabout with the 25 hp motor on the back.
 
Not that it made much difference - because the yachts steering was locked up - and it took me about 20 minutes and zigzagging from one side of the channel to the other - to eventually get the big yacht out in the open - but eventually we made it - and I'd say the whole exercise took us about 45 minutes - and I then ran them back to shore.
 
Once again - NO PHOTOS - I don't know what the hell is the matter with me - but then I suppose International Rescue never stopped to take photos when THEY got the emergency call either.   But I'm absolutely - definitely - going to get some next time - even if I have to re-enact it afterwards for the camera.
 
 
 
It's good to be able to help out - and there's no doubt I must be earning some 'Brownie points' (I suppose that saying comes from the little girl scout Brownies who do good deeds to earn points and badges) - but in our case let's be really mercenary - and say that in return we hope they lett us stay on the mooring just a bit longer - without having to pay for it.   After all there is a business over in the next bay - called Sea Tow - who do nothing else - and he usually charges $150 just to tow you out to the mooring like that.   I wouldn't even consider the money side of it - and would always be happy to give someone a tow - but there's no doubt that dragging that yacht out of the mud at the side of the channel - and out to the mooring (when there was no one else around to do it) was a great help to them at the shipyard.
 
 
Following the excitement and drama - of rescuing yachts from the mud - today was spent on more mundane tasks.   I've been threatening for ages to do something about using the other water tanks on board - instead of the 2 large forward ones - which have been used exclusively for a few years.   Only because when I was on land - I didn't see the point in filling the yacht up with 10,000 litres of water - and opted to just keep topping up the 2000 or so that the forward tanks hold.
 
But now that we are here in the water - and we need lot's of fresh water aboard - and in addition - filling only the forward tanks as we have been still doing, with several tons of water - is partly the cause of why we are slightly bow down - on our waterline.   I have been meaning to do a few necessary little jobs to get those middle tanks 'on-line'.
 
There are 6 large freshwater tanks in the middle of the yacht
3 either side of the bilge area.
This is a photo from the very early construction of the yacht - in that area.
 
 
You can see a hole in the bottom of the end tank on each side - which now has a hose and valves across - connecting the 2 sides - and making a total of more than 4000 litres - but I'm not really sure just how much they hold to be honest - because of their odd shape - and having never been filled.   But the problem has been - that the tank outlet hole on the RH side - which was formed up with epoxy mortar - developed a crack in the epoxy - as it dried - so I undid the fitting - and the tanks were all fully sealed and painted - and the lids bolted down too - and it was sometime later - that this crack appeared - and it only happened in this one spot - so I'm guessing it was a poorly mixed batch (by me).
 
I have never repaired it - because - firstly - I was not using the water tanks - and secondly it involves - removing floor sections - unbolting the lids - breaking the rubber gasket seals - and getting into the tanks - in order to fix it.   Well now it needs to be done - and that's what I've begun today - and it looks like may be on for a few days now - because as usual it's developed into a much bigger job than first thought. 
 
Here is the photo story from today - and you'll see the unexpected problem I discovered.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's very disappointing to see this paint bubbling with rust underneath - and the lids certainly CANNOT just be put back like that.   As soon as some water starts sloshing about - and one bit of paint bubble breaks - the whole lot will come off in time - and it will just expose and keep rusting badly - into the water tank.   No - that paint needs to be completely removed I'm afraid - the lids need to be brought back to bare metal (certainly on that underside - because the top side appears just fine) - and then painted again - with epoxy and polyurethane finish - and hopefully this time - there will be no problem.    It can only have occurred because the surface was not properly cleaned before it was painted in the first place.
 
This could be a job - for our new mate - Doug the Sandblaster - and I'll see what he says - if we go to the Bowling Club this week for the smorgasboard again.   And perhaps I can take them to him a batch at a time - and he can give them a hit with the sandblaster - on one of his jobs.   It will only take him a few minutes to blast clean 6 plate lids - it's just getting them off and in to him - and then back - that's the hassle - but it's really the only way to get them properly stripped clean - to the bare, rust free, metal.
 
I will now need to remove every one of the 17 in total, lids - from ALL the tanks on the yacht - at some stage and see if they are in the same state.    They may or may not be - because they were all done at various times - and the diesel tank lids have a different process to the water tanks - but nevertheless - in time I will need to have a look at them all - and starting with the 6 from these wateer tanks I now want to use.   It's going to be a bit of a job really - because some of these tanks are in operation - and every single one of them is under screwed down floor sections - and everyone of them is bolted down with 20 - 1/2 inch bolts - and sealed with special rubber strip gaskets (which will need to be replaced to).
 
Isn't it always the case - nothing's ever simple
and you always seem to end up having to do somersaults too.
 
Well, that's all from our secret rescue Headquarters
until next time.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

----- Original Message -----
From: Rodney Field
To: 1 Rodney Field
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 3:47 PM
Subject: Never Mentioned - Another Rescue - Water Tanks

 
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