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 -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 3:47 PM
Subject: Never Mentioned - Another Rescue - Water Tanks
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