Turning Wine Into Water

Still anchored off Hawksbill Cay. Day Two. Thursdays sunset did indeed provide another green flash (that's #3) - Michael keeps trying to grab one with the camera - but no success yet.

Last nights' hunt into the bilge wine cabinet however didn't provide the same glory. When we opened the bilge - the socks covering the wine bottles were all wet. Fear of a broken bottle (and lost wine) because of the serious bouncing we did the other day - was one thought. The other was even more frightening (I know hard to believe anything more frightening than a lost wine bottle!!) was water inside the boat. With boats, it's always a good policy to keep the water outside. We emptied the bilges
that were wet, Michael sopped up the water (and there was quite a bit) and we found a Coppola Zinfandel to sip with our steak dinner. And knew we had a "tomorrow" project when the light was better.

So today came - and the wet socked wine that sat in the cockpit overnight was relieved of the wet socks and dried. Socks washed and hung on the life lines. We also discovered the forward head (bathroom - now turned into hanging locker) had damp clothes - so perhaps that's where the dreaded water entered. That was emptied and hung outside.

Michael went on the hunt for loose fittings, broken hoses, open thru hulls etc. He found a few problems (cruising - "fixing your boat in exotic locations"). First the thru hull to the forward toilet was open and all the crashing through waves we did may have filled it and splashed over. Second, the solar vent in the head may have let some of the waves that crashed over the deck, in (thus the damp clothes) and finally, an intake for the water maker hose was leaking at the Y-valve. So Michael replaced
the hose from the thru hull to the Y-valve. So between all those things - now fixed - we hope we found the bilge water problem.

Tonight all the wine is in clean dry socks and restacked in the bilge cellar. The "attic" (V-berth) is restacked with stuff, the forward head thru hull is closed and the clothes now dried, are re-hung in the locker. It was a day's project. A front is passing through, so we've watched the winds shift(from west to due north, forecast to be NE by morning) and had a small spitting shower (not enough to wash the decks of the crusty salt). There's a bit of a roll in the anchorage now.

Our stowaway - a gecko lizard (named "lizad") showed his face today. We were sure he was lost overboard in the crashing waves - but he is a survivor. He lives by the mast in the mass of lines, fuel jugs and fenders. We were glad to see him.

No green flash tonight, but another glorious sunset. We are truly lucky to be out here.