Chillin' and Repairin'

Today involved a couple of repairs as well as some relaxation (if you consider Jessica studying emergency procedures to be relaxing). After breakfast we planned to head out in the dingy, just to explore a little and to give the motor some exercise - we all know that motors do not like to sit idle. Alas we discovered that the motor (6hp, 4-stroke Mercury) wouldn't come above idle before it would cough and die. We traced the problem to gum in the carburetor, doubtless the result of sitting for months in the sun without having had the bowl drained (I discovered the convenient drain plug too late). We cleaned out what we could and put everything back together, then tested the motor. It seemed OK, revving effortlessly to red line, but once we cast off and really put a load on the motor we found that it was still afflicted. We puttered, and I DO mean puttered, the mile or so to Harbor Town Marina, figuring that they would surely carry the carburetor cleaner we needed to make a proper repair, but found that they did not. Leaving the marina for the trip back, the motor became weaker and weaker, eventually stalling as we left the channel. We managed to row back to ALana, a feat which was a little trickier than it sounds due to the 2-3 knots of current that threatened to push us past the boat. We managed to grab onto Alana as we swished past and resolved to spend the rest of the day aboard.

Once aboard, we turned our attention toward discovering the source of the stench that had periodically been filling the boat. It turned out that some wasps had built a nest in the through-hull fitting for the sewage tank vent. As the vent was clogged with mud, the gasses were forced to vent through the toilet, burping noxious odors into the interior. We managed to blow the wasp nests out of the vent line with a garden hose and are now back to relaxing, free from the funky odors which have plagued us. Barring the need for an unforeseen fix, we plan to spend the rest of our day enjoying what can be enoyed aboard a 37-foot boat at anchor. Hopefully the band will be playing again in Harbor Town. We'll be treated to some live tunes while supping on chicken, rice and bean "stoup," bathed in the light of a full moon.