Contaminated fuel. It should be "clear" but instead was opaque and milky. Saltwater up the vent pipe.
A borrowed transfer pump made fast work of draining the tank so I could clean it and bleed the fuel lines of the contaminated fuel.
Well, the good news-as they say-is that we’re in Fiji. The bad news is that the entire fuel system has been contaminated with saltwater. Apparently one or more of the waves during the last couple days must have forced itself up through the fuel vent. I know that several slammed Charisma pretty hard. All the fuel is trash. It was a milky white/dirty brown looking mess when I opened up the tank inspection plate. I spent most of today working on draining it and cleaning the tank, while Ann was cleaning out lockers, drying them and cleaning the mold that develops on the wet, salty surfaces. Why do we do this you ask? I have no idea. It is so far from fun right now, I just can’t explain. And the money flows out–turns out I have to remove the fuel injection pump and all four injectors and send them to Suva,which is the closest city with services capable to recondition them. Cha Ching!
I have no idea how to take all this stuff apart much less put it back together, but that will be tomorrow’s problem. For now-sleep. We have had no let up in working on fixing all the stuff that got beat up from the crossing. Interestingly we’re now hearing from some other folks who left a week or so after us and they too are getting hammered by unexpected weather. There will be lots of stories to tell among the yachties in Fiji this year.
Pictures will come in the next couple days as I get sorted out. The key right now is to yank the parts and send them out-then we can chill for a while while we’re waiting to get them back-which I am very optimistically thinking might take a week. If only it goes that fast.
Oh, wait a minute—the head’s still broken. Oh well, we have been taking the dinghy ashore for that business. Requires a bit of planning, but we’re managing…
More importantly, today we celebrated Lisa’s 50th birthday. She volunteered to do the passage with us to document the big year. We think she got the “E” ticket ride, don’t you!
Hi Bob, Ann & Linda,
Hey, you’ve come through the worst and you know you can do it! We’ve had a few tough passages (though not as many as we’d thought over 15 years). The worst is always sorting out the stuff once the seas have calmed or we arrived.
You’re smart, sea-savvy and becoming more boat savvy every day. We know you can figure out and fix all this stuff.
As we say aboard Chautauqua, “As long as the boat is floating, everything else is easy….”
Good luck. If we can be of any help while we wait for our new heat exchanger here in NZ, let us know.
Priscilla & Don
Happy happy birthday to Lisa!! What a terrific ride! xxoo Joan
Sounds like what you all need is a floating dock with a Nascar crew to replace all the broken pieces in record time. I’m sure YouTube has a video on injector replacement. The head may have to be a learn as you go, no pun intended, project.
I think the ticket she got was way past the letter E. E is for excitement. I think maybe Z for zany. Plus E tickets were for fantasy rides not the real deal, sea water in your face, and your butt on the line experiences.
Having come through the trial in, more or less, one piece I think you all get a gold star and an atta-boy. Good job.
Illegitimi non carborundum!
Happy Birthday to Lisa!!!!!
Congratulations on maintaining your sense of humor through a long, tumultous trip! Best wishes for the repairs and good timing for getting it all done.
How wonderful that you could celebrate Lisa’s 50th with her, in style!