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02/06/20 Tues. This morning I refitted the deckwash pump to the new bedplate, connected the hoses and power, then ran it to check for any leaks - all OK. In the afternoon, we put the 40metres of 16mm octoplait rode and 50 metres of chain back in the chain locker. Next job will be to replace the shower tray pump - when it arrives! It arrived in Kuala Lumpur via UPS on the 21st of May, and like every other parcel I have ordered, it has spent the last 11 days going back and forth between Shah Alam and Sepang, two areas of KL. It is scanned out of one and 36 mins later scanned into the next, back and forth like a yo-yo. That's Malaysian efficiency for you! The banjo bolts.......yeah, well that's still with the Pos Malaysia International Hub at some airport in UK.
07/06/20 Sun. Nothing much happening, no movement of parcels and rain most days for an hour or two. Heavy rain today since 10pm last night, so can only watch movies!
09/06/20 Tues. Last night we spent a couple of hours watching the meteor shower in the clear night sky, the moon was in close formation with Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in the south eastern sky. Today we enter phase 6 of the lockdown. First we had the MCO (Movement Control Order), then we had the CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) which expires today. Now we have the RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) in force until August 31st. As I understand it, movement is now allowed cross-border between States of Malaysia, (compare that to crossing from Kent to Sussex or Lancashire to Yorkshire), but national borders remain closed, so you cannot enter Malaysia. However, our position as yachties is not clear and I am going to need to clarify the present situation with the main Immigration Office here in Labuan. Just because Malaysia is starting to relax travel restrictions, our nearest neighbours (Brunei and Philippines) are not, so we cannot sail to another destination as yet.
16/06/20 Tues. Yesterday saw the arrival of both my missing parcels! Spent a few hours replacing the dying shower tray pump, it should have taken an hour but took somewhat longer because the new replacement pump had a different footprint which meant additional work for me. I am still trying to sort out the chaos of Immigration rules and it seems we will be allowed to enter Sabah providing Labuan will let us go - the problem being that if Labuan stamp us out.....we can't then re-enter Malaysia at Kudat, or any other Malaysian port for that matter. Further investigation needed.
18/06/20 Thurs. We took the boat out this morning to test the engine after it's air vent repair. All was well after an hour at 1800 rpm with the engine temp at 84oC. Putting the revs up to 2000 sent the engine temperature climbing to 90oC and sounding the alarm. Reducing the revs brought the temp down again. I will have to flush the cooling system and check the heat exchanger tube stack next.
19/06/20 Fri. We went to Hup Fatt auto store today and bought some radiator and engine block flushing liquid. I drained the old coolant out and topped up again with the flushing agent and water, ran the engine for about 50 minutes between idle speed and 1600rpm. I wanted to drain the system afterwards but flushing it with cold water while the engine is hot is not a good idea! I will drain it in the morning.
21/06/20 Sun. My engine problems are multiplying! The cooling water is behaving oddly in that it takes me a long time to fill it and exclude the airlock. I used to be able to fill it, run the engine with the cap off until the thermostat opened and the level dropped, then fill it again and all was well. Now, I have to do that about 10 times before the airlock has gone - weird. OK, maybe one of the water jacket passageways is blocked and the water is seeping through rather than having a free flow, so I decided to repeat the flushing process and put another bottle of 'cleaner' in. After getting rid of the airlock again, I ran the engine for about 15 mins at idle speed, then without warning, the engine speed increased to 1700rpm without any throttle being applied. It now will not run at anything less! The governor is a pneumatic version and maybe the diaphragm has become perforated or brittle? So now I have to try to solve that mystery before I can continue with the coolant problem. Spent the afternoon in Financial Park sorting out a issue with the wi-fi again - all my internet quota keeps disappearing in a short space of time, so got them to change my username and password. Also went to a bookbinding store and had my engine workshop manual rebound as it's falling apart due to age (bit like me!)
24/06/20 Weds. I have sort of convinced myself that the governor diaphragm is the problem causing my engine to over-rev at idle speeds, several starts have shown it to run around the 1850rpm mark, so I have ordered a new diaphragm from the UK (Manfred @westfield 4x4). Now begins the long wait for delivery again and bang goes any thoughts of an early departure to Kudat. If I were to attempt engaging either forward or reverse gears at that engine speed, the damper plate would be wrecked, or worse still, the gearbox.
27/06/20 Sat. So.....yesterday around 4pm, we get a power outage which turned out to be some (alleged) maintenance being done by the marina. At dark o'clock, they come and tell us to move to 'A' dock because they don't have the spares needed to repair whatever it is needs repairing. I don't have a usable engine! OK they say, we will get Emma 1 to tow you. Haha, I've seen that boat being driven many times, and there is no way I would let him tow, push, pull or anything else on my boat, so no thanks, we will wait until morning and do it ourselves. This morning, we inflated the dinghy and attached the engine, then with Alistair's help, we strung a line from 'A' to 'B' dock and Alistair pulled the line while I nudged and guided the boat using the dinghy. I can't help but wonder what sort of idiot would start a job at 4pm on a Friday, knowing they had no spares and weekend upon us?
30/06/20 Tues. My diaphragm was supposed to be delivered by the end of the working day today, but it hasn't been of course. It is however in KK, so perhaps tomorrow? I have reached the conclusion that the power will never be reconnected to the bottom end of 'B' dock. After leaving the dock on Saturday, I watched as some guys disconnected the main supply from the box adjacent to my old one, so the last five power boxes on that dock are now without power. The stories given to us do not ring true and I am sure it was a ploy to ensure the barge at the root of the pontoon had sufficient power by cutting ours. This marina has gone downhill alarmingly over the last few years - time to move on (when I can!)
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