05/06/14 Over the first few days of this month.....Al and I have completed two coats of paint and granules on the whole deck and are now waiting until it is hard enough to lightly sand off the high points and put on the final paint coat.....photo on right. All varnishing is complete. The dinghy keel deflates overnight and is in need of a new valve - a different one from the spare I have onboard! I managed to get the outboard engine running sweetly again, but there was no cooling water coming out, so it was another strip down which revealed a major problem - the gearbox is held on with four bolts which are always submerged in salt water, and corrosion over the years has taken it's toll. Three of the four bolts sheared! Unable to drill them out because of the corrosion, I decided the engine is now dead. Until such time as I can find and afford another engine, I cleared out the cooling water passages, checked the impeller and then 'glued' the gearbox back on! It won't have to come off again, but it might just fall off when in use. I have taken the fridge compressor out of it's cupboard and found a leaking filter tube which has now been replaced by a local repair shop, re-gassed and is now working as it should. Hours have been spent online searching for a solution to the waterproofing of my sprayhood - FedEx have agreed they will ship it but for a minimum charge equivalent to a 500Kg load, irrespective of the shipment. As I only want a 5 litre container, that charge is out of the question. There is a glimmer of hope that a company in Kota Kinabalu may have the liquid that I am looking for and I am awaiting confirmation of that.
06/06/14 D-Day 70th anniversary. So the company in Kota Kinabalu send me a photo at my request.......and it turns out to be Scotchguard for sofas and chairs......great for kids dropping ice lollies on your furniture but not much use for a tropical monsoon! A second KK company can supply 303 Fabric Guard (as recommended by Sunbrella) but have no stock at the moment. Now I am waiting for a price and an anticipated delivery date. Tonight I saw a rat on my finger pontoon - the first I've seen inside the marina, and it was right next to my cockpit area!
07/05/14 Rene told me this morning that he'd had a rat onboard during the night! I think maybe I did as well......perhaps the same one? Doors and hatches closed early tonight.
08/06/14 Deck anti slip now complete, three coats of paint on; how long it will last remains to be seen. Start on dinghy transom which is made of marine ply and is open to the elements along it's top edge - so sand it down and sheath it with glass fibre matting and resin. Having problems now with the internet which is provided by Celcom.....it's been fine for two months, now they have slowed it down for me, to the point where it is unusable and I am having to revert to the marina wi-fi system.
09/06/14 Roland the rat was caught in trap on Rene's boat last night - he is now deceased! Completed the sheathing of dinghy transom, just got to put all the bits back on when it is fully dry. Collected my repaired windvane bottom bracket from Penuwasa shipyard.
12/06/14 Internet problems continue......infuriating! The company in KK, DekkersOutdoor, have confirmed they can get 303 Hi Tech Fabric Guard for me - but it is expensive and will not be in Sabah for some weeks yet. I decided to go ahead and use the dinghy glue that I bought some time ago in KK, I figured that without hardener it will just take somewhat longer to cure. The hardener is just an accelerant....right? Anyway, I am trying it and have glued the first of the keel pads down. My search for a replacement outboard engine continues, the later models are too heavy for my little dinghy but I have someone looking in KK for me at this moment. Stripped out the main bilge pump today and opened it up - the diaphragm was split; a little worrying that it only lasted from KK to here....effectively about three days. Not good when compared to the original lasting some ten years!
15/06/14 The dinghy keel is glued and seems to be fine, just need to get some new valves from the UK now but the company there seems to be taking it's time in replying to my requests. Waterproofing troubles continue but are getting nearer to a solution. The weather is unpredictable now that we are well into the season change and we usually have a strong breeze during the afternoons - good if you're going to the Philippines, not so good for heading to Brunei.
17/06/14 Not much happening, things have ground to a halt and I'm having a few days of doing very little. Need to get up some enthusiasm to continue with all the jobs still outstanding.
20/06/14 Still doing very little in the way of reducing the jobs list, I seem to spend all my time chasing companies for information about dinghy valves and waterproofing products. They are not very forthcoming or prompt with their replies! Some are quoting a three month delivery, others say they can get the stuff but at extortionate prices - it's so frustrating! My mate Rob in the UK is trying his best to get suitable waterproofing gear to me but the company tell him one thing and me another, plus there is the problem of shipping 5 litres of liquid by air safely. Now a company in New Zealand is looking like my best option. The KK company can and will get me 303 Fabric Guard if I wish, but £185 for 3.5 litres?? That's about six times the price of same thing in the UK.
Today is my birthday too.......so thank you for the e-mails and birthday wishes! Been a bit of a lonesome birthday though - in fact I haven't seen or spoken to a soul all day! Time to crack open the malt whisky and have a wee dram!
22/06/14 Decided to spruce up the varnish areas of the fwd cabin, so stripped everything out and got Al to start sanding all the woodwork. How does the dust get into every nook and crannie on the boat?? Nice to see old friends Barry and Gerrie on 'New World' arrive in the marina. Even better to be invited onboard for dinner! They are here to haul out in Penuwasa prior to returning to Miri and onwards to Australia.
23/06/14 Went into the Immigration Office this morning to request an extension of my visa which runs out at the end of the month. The officer there was very helpful and agreed to a sixty day extension but told me that if I have it today, the clock starts ticking immediately and that it would be better to come back next week and do it then, thereby getting the full 60 days worth. So, I have to go next Monday (the 30th). Moved the sanding operation into the loo and made more dust!
26/06/14 Not been too good for the last three days.....sore throat, coughing, sneezing, bunged up - haven't had a cold in a long while though, so can't really complain. Sanding and varnishing has now moved into the galley and main cabin areas. The fwd cabin and loo have one coat of varnish on but will need another two each. Barry and Gerrie came over last night for a meal in the marina eatery, good to have company and a natter. Thinking today of my mate Trev who is in hospital for another heart operation, hope all goes well for him.
30/06/14 Back to the Immigration Office this morning and after a lengthy delay, I finally got my passport back with an extension of sixty days on my visa. Varnishing continues on the boat and the main cabin now just needs the table and nav. area to be sanded and varnished.
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