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01/03/21 Mon. After yesterdays long day, I decided to take it easy today and just do a few odd jobs........yeah, right! I epoxied the back of the cupboard front, then decided to swap out the old solar charger with the new MPPT controller. I thought it would be an hours job at most but I should know better by now. The wiring from the controller to the batteries was of insufficient cross section for the anticipated amps (should I fit another solar panel in the future), so I decided to change it now, which led to further re-routing of cables and a complete strip down of the nav. berth - again. It turned out to be another all day job, to be finished tomorrow!
02/03/21 Tues. By 0900, I had finished the rewire job and the new controller is up and running. After a few other minor jobs, Neil, Ana and I went over to the yard and rented a car for a couple of hours to get paint and other bits from Kim Chok out of town.
03/03/21 Weds. Gave the cupboard front a coat of varnish today but unfortunately it did not darken the wood as much as I anticipated so we will have to think of something else.
04/03/21 Thurs. Sanded the varnish off again this morning, then went over to the yard to rent Siti's car again and back out to Kim Chok - or I should say the timber yard opposite - to buy some wood stain. They did not have teak colour so we had to settle for rosewood which of course is not the colour of the 'old' sliding doors. Back onboard, I mixed 'honey pine' with the 'rosewood' to achieve an acceptable match which I am sure will blend in over time!
05/03/21 Fri. Gave the cupboard front a coat of varnish this morning, then started the stripping of trim, drawer and doors on the lower cupboard front - an all day job!
06/03/21 Sat. Difficult to get enthusiasm up today so had a rest day!
07/03/21 Sun. Measured and cut the panel for the lower cupboard, cut out the holes for two doors and a drawer, checked all the trim fitted the cut outs before coating the reverse side with epoxy resin.
08/03/21 Mon. Fitted all the trim today and the door stops - all delayed until lunchtime when the rain stopped!
11/03/21 Thurs. A little more progress, stained the cupboard front and applied first coat of varnish (doors and drawers as well) over last couple of days but everything on hold today because of rain. At least we filled the water tank!
12/03/21 Fri. Sanded the cupboard front first thing this morning, then took a calculated risk (of rain) and applied a coat of varnish. We then spent 3 hours getting the oven out of it's compartment, cleaning off years of accumulated grease and grime and painting the back of the compartment.
13/03/21 Sat. Final coat of white paint behind the oven this morning, then fitted the oven back in it's space (what a job that was!), made compartment dividers in the cutlery drawer. At lunchtime, we went over to the yard to help Brent with his engine, taking out injectors and lapping in the valves.
14/03/21 Sun. A day off today really - I fitted the cupboard doors and drawer this morning and did a few little other jobs before we went over to the yard for lunch with Brent and Shane onboard Kaya. I did nothing afterwards, just relaxed in the cockpit.
16/03/21 Tues. After another day off yesterday due to being too hot to do much, this morning I cut out the 4 panels for a mosquito screen door and coated them with resin.
17/03/21 Weds. Sanded the parts of the mosquito screen and applied a coat of varnish (before 7.30am), then stripped down the watermaker and spent a few hours figuring out how to replace the membrane. In the afternoon, we rented a car and went into town and Friendly Town for some essential engine and other parts.
20/03/21 Sat. Nearing the end of the long galley job now, the watermaker is plumbed in, all the panels are now screwed back together and the hardwood plugs cut and glued into the screw holes - just a little sanding and varnishing to do!
21/03/21 Sun. Rest day - we all went over to Craig's boat for a BBQ at lunchtime and I had my first can of beer in .....I don't know how long...ages!
22/03/21 Mon. I had to postpone jobs again today because of rain. Spent my time thinking of a new engine instrument panel and how I could make one.
23/03/21 Tues. Over in the yard today fitting new piston rings and big end bearings to Brent's engine.
26/03/21 Fri. A commotion around the boat last night, loads of small fish (3") jumping high out of the water and onto our deck, Ana and I were throwing them back in as fast as we could - over 50 were on our starboard side deck. This morning, there were 22 more in the dinghy which had unfortunately died in the fresh rain water collected in the dinghy bottom. Into town for some shopping this morning, then continuation of engine build for Brent.
27/03/21 Sat. I went over to Brent's boat again this morning and fitted the crankshaft oil seals, all the valves, cam followers, push rods and cylinder head.
28/03/21 Sun. Rest day, took it easy and just made two spice racks, sanded them down and stained with 'rosewood'.
29/03/21 Mon. Fitted the spice racks to galley fwd bulkhead. Tried to order VDO gauges from a German online site but having trouble with the payment because the site will not accept my mobile number (not a UK number!)
30/03/21 Tues. Over in the yard again today with Brent's engine, set all the valve clearances, fitted exhaust manifold, rocker cover, engine mounts. On Thursday we want to drive down to Kota Kinabalu for various boat parts but it's all dependent on whether inter-district movements are allowed or not.
31/03/21 Weds. Went to the police station today and obtained a permit for Neil, Ana and myself to travel to Kota Kinabalu tomorrow, then rented a car for the week.
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