 Fred's flat out working that mouse - isn't
he? And Dino's pretty busy working the plugs.
Well I've only just noticed - as I'm doing this
email - that it's
  and so far so good - although the wind is really
starting to pick up outside.
 Thank God we haven't seen any of these around -
you know how Penny feels there.
But there has been a far more serious situation
the last few days aboard the yacht.
No - not me - but a new and terrifying threat to
'yachtland security'
has raised it's ugly head (no, not me) - and it's
really got Penny's shackles up too.
If it's not enough that she's got low flying
Pelicans passing each afternoon
without approval - that need to be told
off. Now this! Each morning.
Now be warned - it's really scary.
 These dangerous creatures
have been circling about and terrorising us for
several days now
and Penny is not going to put up with it any
longer.
 It seems that some of the other yachts -
including Laurie - have been 'encouraging' these wild and vicious animals - to
come around for a free feed of bits of bread (but you could lose a hand feeding
them) - instead of them having to 'forage and kill' as nature intended they
should. Now of course they seem to think that they can just paddle
up to any boat - circle about - and get a free handout. Well - let
me tell you - as far as Penny is concerned - it's not
on.
 This is HER yacht - and they
have approached our space without permission.
And it's her job - (one of the very few she's
got) - to tell them so.
So we'll just have to see how this 'duck -v- dog'
standoff develops over the days ahead.
 It's mid winter here you know - and we haven't
really had the full brunt of it - like we used to feel back out at Erskine Park
in the paddock - where it would be freezing nights and heavy frosts each
morning. But here in the bay the other day - it was an unusual
scene of thick fog and mist - that hung around till lunch time.
Well, of course they do get quite heavy fogs here
that can close down the Sydney Airport across the bay sometimes - but this was
really the first we'd seen since we came to the water. And it
presented a whole new scene for us.
 But then the very next morning we had
this - when we came out.
 A crisp, clear morning across the bay - towards
Sydney Airport and Botany.
I now want to mention to you the subject of
showers.
About a month ago - I bought a new LPG Instant
Hot Water System off Ebay.
And I have to say that I've been nothing but
delighted with it ever since.
As you may recall - When I first came out here into
the bay - and away from the luxury of being plugged in to the shore power
continuously at the dock - it became necessary to start using the generators -
to provide the electicity - to power many of the things we run on board - like
this computer right now for example (and I've just been out on deck and put some
petol in the little 750w generator that is allowing us to have lights and send
this email).
But I was also regularly running the big diesel
generator in the engine room - which can produce 10 KVA (10,000 watts) - and
enough to run everything on board including the domestic Rheem Hot Water
Heater. I was doing this every 2 or 3 days - and it had to be run
for an hour or so - and used a fair bit of diesel each time.
So I was looking around to find an alternative -
particularly for the Hot Water - because you just can't survive properly without
taking a hot shower each day. I looked at Solar - but it was a
considerable job to get it and install it aboard - and when I asked the other
yachties - several of them - like Bill and Laurie - both said that they had
Instant LPG Heaters - and had had them on board for years - and that they were
excellent.
I looked around on the Net - and read up - on some
of them - and then came across some brand new units - being advertised on
Ebay - and available for about $250.
The seller had a lot of good reports and feedback
from previous buyers and so I bought one.
It was delivered to me at the shipyard 2 days later
- complete and new.
I installed it directly on the wall of the shower
room - as there is plenty of space available - as the shower cubicle is made to
fit big me quite comfortably - and there is also an exhaust fan
vent above it too. You can control the temperature and flow directly
from knobs on the unit - but I connected it into the existing plumbing - so
that it comes straight out the normal shower head - and you can use
the wall taps.
It is - thus far - without doubt - one of the
best things I have ever
bought.
  You have boiling
hot water coming out of the shower within a couple of seconds - and it
ignites as you turn the water on - using piezo electric sparkers like on
the BBQ - which run from 2 D cell batteries - and shuts off the flame
as you turn the water off. It
costs mere cents in gas for each shower. It is absolutely brilliant
- and I'm delighted with it - every time I step in.
I had actually forgotten to tell you about this -
until I was talking to my uncle and said I'd send off some photos.
We haven't had to start the main big generator now
for a few weeks since last I had to use the grinders and big bench drill on
a job - and needed the extra power to run them.
Yes - it's pretty good
that shower.
 And it won't be very long before I'll be
under that hot water again tonight.
So we'll say - see you later - until next
time.
  ----- Original Message -----
From:
Rodney
Field
To: 1 Rodney
Field
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 6:23 PM
Subject: Fred - Security Threat - Fog - Hot
Water
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