Monday, November 2, 2009

Thats more like it


DODs Portugal




Couple of Photos of new Zenna newly polished and with the canvas work done in Lisbon. Inside is the new generator sadly not visible considering what it cost...
Drama of the Day (DOD)
We have been noticing for some time that each day there is a DOD. This can strike at any time and ranges in severity. There is generally no warning and there are always repercussions.

Yesterday we managed a triple DOD. We were enjoying our first really relaxing day on the boat. We had rounded Capo de Sao Vincent, the most south westerly point in Europe. This meant we were away from the colder NW swell of the west coast of Portugal and were suddenly in an almost Mediterranean climate. The sun was warm, we were anchored in a lovely bay, we even had our first swim of the trip (although still a bit chilly). We took the dingy ashore, wandered around the timeshare town and sat and had a beer in the little bar on the beach.

Coming onto the beach in the dingy had been easy, but the waves were getting bigger, so launching her for our return journey provided hilarious entertainment for the stragglers on the beach. When Mark finally hopped into to boat and we headed off, the applause was audible. DOD we thought (always dangerous). On board we planned to put on the generator, heat the water, have showers, and some supper and, as it was Sunday, watch Gavin and Stacey on video. Although we have the complete set, we only watch the show on Sundays as a bit of a treat. The brand new generator (more about that later) went on. I waited for Mark to come back on deck to help me get the dingy on the boat. But instead a stony face announced there was a problem as no water was getting through to the generator motor. Second DOD. An hour later Mark had fixed the problem, installing a new part in the water pump. Although it was now 9 o’clock (almost our bed time) we decided to have showers before eating. Half an hour later the generator had heated the water enough to attempt a shower. I even managed to get my hair washed but then discovered I couldn’t pump out the shower tray. Third DOD. Mark managed to fix the problem - a hose that was dodgy. Then whilst I made supper, Mark disappeared for his well earned shower. This was shortly followed by yells for a screw driver. The hose had now become detatched and was dispensing all the waste water into the engine room.

So there you have it. An idyllic day cruising.