Thursday, March 19, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

Another day where what should have taken only a couple of hours, ended up being a full day’s project. 

Once again, I started the day removing rust stains on the boat, basically picking up where I had left off yesterday.  Gerry came over earlier and dropped Nicky off while he went in search of an impeller for his generator.  Dale had already replaced the fuel valve that had been “weeping” and was in the process of rebuilding the raw water pump that was leaking both oil and water and had spread tools, pieces and parts all over the cockpit. 

Tinkering Consultant and Tweaker in Chief

Once the rain started, I took Nicky back over to her boat to close the hatches and then we both returned to the Palace just as Gerry returned and then settled in to watch the magic happen. 

They had diagrams with circles and arrows (and a paragraph on the back of each one to be used as evidence against them), hammers, screwdrivers, sockets, wrenches, calipers; you name it, they had it and were using everything to tear the pump apart and put it back together again.  It was classic!  The Tweaker in Chief and his Tinkering Consultant were in hog heaven as they had oil up to their elbows, dirt under their fingernails and made lots of noise hammering and tinkering. 

Where the problem began was when they tried to put it back together again.  Apparently, the parts that had come out, suddenly didn’t fit going back in.  I was asked to put one part in the freezer to assist.  Of course!  Not a problem!  I understand physics.  Just wrap that nasty thing in a clean paper towel before I mix it in with our food. 

It Takes Two

Then the impeller for the pump didn’t fit over the shaft it had originally come off of.  They eventually had to file some piece quite a bit to make everything go back in place.  They were dumbfounded as to how a piece of steel could be warped to the extent that it had.  (Nicky suspected that it might have had something to do with all of the hammering to get everything apart.)  By 3:30pm, they had everything back together, the pump back in place, the engine started, water was flowing, with only a drip every 30 seconds or so.  I gather that it was an improvement.  I don’t know.  They’re happy.  The dang thing works, I’m happy. 

Although Nicky and I had planned on having another barbeque on our boat, Dale was exhausted and didn’t want to have to contend with getting the grill started and since it appears that grilling is in his realm solely, I wasn’t asked and certainly didn’t object when the guys decided that we were going out tonight.  Nicky and I located an Italian restaurant called Virgilio’s within walking distance, confirmed that they were open and serving dinner and then we all dashed for showers before heading out for a wonderful dinner.  I had lasagna, Dale had chicken parmesan, Gerry had fettuccine carbonara and Nicky had raw meat.  It was marinated and had a fancy name (carpaccio) but it was still raw meat. 

After returning to the Palace this evening, Dale saw where the State Department has issued a Level 4 advisory (usually only issued during times of war) advising all American citizens to return to the US as they may not be able to enter at a later date.   Really?  Just exactly how are we supposed to do that?  Abandon our property and fly home?  I thought all foreign flights had been cancelled already.  Hoist sails and head straight there?  It would take at least a month and by that time, I thought the powers that be presumed the restrictions would be lifted by then.  This is beyond madness. 

In any event, we’re going shopping tomorrow and yes, I am buying toilet paper as I haven’t bought any since leaving the US back in November.  I think we’re due some.  So now I need to make a list of what we should get before heading off to bed.  Stay sane folks, it’s a crazy world out there.