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02/05/17 Tues. Not a very good start to the month - my pc battery has died! A search online for a replacement shows horrendous prices (and no stock anyway!) so I'm not quite sure what to do with that at the moment. It's almost as cheap to replace the computer but that would also bring other problems regarding the loading of this site.
05/05/17 Fri. OK, computer battery sorted out - I've ordered one from the UK, which is about one tenth of the price of one here, which is somewhat odd as most are made in Asia! The plotter is all wired up now and working fine, showing AIS targets and a nice bright screen, I still have to download charts and make a hardwood base for the new (and different shaped) plotter bracket. I stripped out the fresh water pump today and dismantled it to clean and check the diaphragms - all OK, so that is not the reason I sometimes have low water pressure!
11/05/17 Thurs. I still have not found the reason for low water pressure at the shower head; stripped down the actual head today and checked that was ok. I have no idea if it is the pressure switch on the pump which is at fault, but think that is ok because of ample pressure at the galley sink taps. The only other thing it could be is the smaller diameter hose which attaches the shower head - I'm aware of Bernoulli's principle but that should make little difference to the water exiting the shower rose.......or would it? Helped Bill (Viajero) to take down his forestay this morning, he is replacing all the standing rigging because one of the shrouds broke on the way down from Kudat. After breakfast I went to Ramsey's machine shop and collected my wheelpilot drive ring, machined in aluminium - will need to reassemble it all one day soon and see if it works! Remainder of day was too hot to work outside.
12/05/17 Fri. Ana's quest for a new passport trundles on. She had appointment for application on the 1st, and was told the new passport would be ready in 7 working days (the 9th). She asked them not to post it and she would collect in person on the 10th. As it turned out, she was unable to go on that day for family reasons and so went yesterday to the Dept of Foreign Affairs where she was turned away at the door because she didn't have her payment receipt with her! Today she again made the long train, taxi ride to DFA only to be told "it isn't printed yet, come back on the 17th". Words fail me!
13/05/17 Sat. Re-assembled the wheelpilot, it's a little tight and that may cause problems later with additional power needed to actually drive it, but can only wait and see. Just need to replace it on the wheel now and connect the power cable. I varnished the wooden base for the chartplotter before going over to the Financial Park for dinner and a bit of shopping. During the evening we had heavy rain showers and strong gusting winds - which is fine, it cools the air temp down!
15/05/17 Mon. My laptop battery arrived from UK - all good again.
16/05/17 Tues. Yay!!!! Ana got her new passport today. Helped Bill get his new forestay on this morning, then went over to Paul's boat to give assistance with head removal on one of his engines.
17/05/17 Weds. Went into town this morning, to the printers and got new crew lists, Ana's passport and my SSR certificate printed. Then had some lunch before getting a haircut and walking across town to the Commissioner for Oaths office to get an invitation letter in order for Ana to return to Malaysia. After which, I went to the Post Office and sent off the letter to Ana in Manila - they said it would take five days to get there, so we will see.
18/05/17 Thurs. Over on Paul's boat this morning, helping him to track down an electric fault on his engine gauges - we think it's a bad earth connection somewhere in the engine loom. Left Paul to renew the wire and went to the marina office to question my bill which is showing my arrival date as 14th Feb, and clearly wrong! Carried on over to the financial park for a few items and an early dinner.
19/05/17 Fri. Settled my new bill in office, a thousand less than the original and up to 2nd June. The very hot weather continues, with rain during the evenings.
20/05/17 Sat. A frustrating day searching for flights from Manila. You would think that Asian websites would be top notch given the pre-occupation Asians have with computers and phones.....but they are rubbish! Air Asia site will not let you pass the first page, so it's impossible to search flight dates or make a booking online. Malindo do not fly the route I need. Malaysian Airlines are too expensive. Cebu Pacific won in the end, but only after 3 or 4 attempts to fill in the lengthy forms. All finally sorted and Ana will fly back late on the 7th June, arriving KK early morning of the 8th.
23/05/17 Tues. Sad news today of a bomb attack carried out last night at a children's concert in my home city of Manchester. Around 20 fatalities and 60 others were injured in the blast. My heartfelt condolences to all the families involved.
24/05/17 Weds. Ana received the letter I sent - not quite 5 days but close enough.
28/05/17 Sun. Nothing much happening today, day of rest! The last few days have seen bad news from all over the World, the bomb in Manchester, a similar bomb at a bus terminal in Jakarta, an attack on a bus in Egypt and IS rebels taking the city of Marawi in Mindanao. Seems few places are safe these days. Paul has been having a few problems with his stbd engine and I've been over there a couple of times to give him a hand. On starting, it runs away at high revs and we think the problem is related to misadjusted crossover levers in the injector pump but we don't have the 'special' tool to align them, nor can we find any diagrams with dimensions online from which to make one. So, if any of you out there have a crossover lever adjustment gauge (tool no. 5P4209) for a Caterpillar 3208 turbo diesel - send me a postcard!!
30/05/17 Tues. After removing the injector pump from Paul's engine, we think we have finally solved the problem! At the very start of his troubles, taking the top off the pump revealed a broken machine screw in the lifting arm for one of the eight metered pumps. Paul had replaced it with new, and I thought he had removed all of the old one - but the head of the screw was still in there, jammed under the said pump!
31/05/17 Weds. Paul had replaced the injector pump by the time I got over there this morning - we started the engine and although much better, the idle revs were too high, also one cylinder was 'coughing' which indicated the wrong amount of fuel being injected for the given revs. Paul took the top of the pump off again and adjusted the four levers to the pump on the outboard side, screwed it all back together again and it ran faster still. I feel sorry for him, because each time it is not right, it means stripping it down again and making adjustments, then putting it all back together again to try - and we don't have the specialised equipment needed, so calibration is 'by eye' only!
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