SV Sine Timore: Hectic December

Paradise Fishing Lodge, El Salvador

After a couple of days attempting to get acclimated to the brutal heat and humidity, we started tackling a few of the known, and some new, issues on the boat. I had one of the mechanics here take on the resurrection of the Mercury outboard (I thought it best given my unfortunate track record with said motor), while I got the dinghy launched, then took on a similar project to service the Honda generator (I really must learn to get all the old gas out of these things when we are going to leave them for any length of time). We had success on both fronts.

I have scrapped the old staysail cover and removed the staysail itself until we find someone who can make us a new cover. For the mainsail cover and lazy jacks, I have researched and found a design I like the look of, from Doyle Sailmakers. Oddly enough, I had to order it from their Nanoose Bay location on Vancouver Island - the Cradle Cover itself will be made in Barbados and shipped to me in El Salvador sometime around the end of January.

The bowsprit, now stripped of all of its finish, is in great need of some TLC. I have a quote from a local carpenter but I have yet to gather the supplies he needs before he can get started. I am hopeful that a planned trip into San Salvador tomorrow will yield some results.

Inside the boat, the problems that I had previously posted as having solved themselves apparently did not actually do so. The bathroom sink drain stopped draining (which also put our shower out of commission). In the process of removing the plugged hose, it just ripped apart in my hands. I lucked out on this problem though, when the mechanic at the marina found a perfectly sized piece of exhaust hose that he could sell me. I replaced the hose and all is well. As a precaution, I also replaced the drain hose from the kitchen sink since it is the same size and I have been worried about that particular hose for years.

Emboldened by that success, I decided it was finally time to tackle the rebuilding of the head (It has never worked that well since the last time I serviced it and it was getting worse all the time). I did a much more careful and thorough job this time, replacing every part I could find in the rebuild kit, regardless if it seemed necessary or not. When complete, the toilet worked like new.

Unfortunately as soon as I tried to use it, the outflow hose became totally blocked - this was sort of a low point in the month for me. Because the thru-hull valve for that hose has been completely seized for several years now, I could not simply remove the hose without risking a boat-sinking event (Yes, I know this problem was inevitable, but I had hoped we would get to somewhere where we could get the boat out of the water before it actually arrived). It has taken me almost a week and a half, working with a couple of borrowed drum augers (plumbing snakes) and many gallons of Muriatic acid, to get all the crap (literally and figuratively speaking) out of that 5-1/2 foot run of hose. I promised Susanne that I would have the head working for Christmas, but I was a couple of days late.

Other, smaller issues included fixing a non-working burner on the propane stove, replacing a non-working cooling fan on the refrigerator and a similar one on the Engel freezer. Note that as soon as I had the fan working well on the Engel, it stopped working altogether - there is a small chance that I might be able to find a refrigeration guru somewhere that can fix it but as of now it is still out of commission. One of the cabin fans was making a lot of annoying noises - I serviced that so now it is making even more noise. We found a colony of termites in the floor, around an access panel for one of the water tanks - I managed to kill a lot of them and drive the remainder somewhere where I can't get at them.

One other issue that I have not even contemplated yet is the VHF radio antenna which has disconnected from its wire at the top of the mast and is now somehow dangling up there.

On a pleasanter note, the last two weeks have been extremely busy for us. For some reason, the El Salvador social scene has been in overdrive - that is in part why we have not made more progress on many of the maintenance projects.

There have been the usual pot-luck Sunday suppers at Casa L&L, plus additional days spent there for Christmas (a special treat hosted at Lou and Lynn's home for about 90 locals, a lot of them young children), and a gala pig-roast on the 27th. In between, we have joined other cruisers and local expats for suppers at Bahia del Sol and lunch at one of the palapa restaurants in the estuary (that is a long ride from Paradise Fishing Lodge in our little dinghy).

Our friend Bill's birthday

On the 29th and 30th, we joined a few friends for day-trips, the first day to the towns of La Palma and Suchitoto (which we had been to before) and the second day to Ilobasco and San Sebastián (where we had not been before). Long days with a rented van and driver, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Yesterday, we took in the New Year's games on an island in the estuary, then joined some cruisers for the party at the Bahia del Sol resort for New Years Eve. The fireworks up and down the estuary were spectacular.

Futbol, with a unique, challenging field

Dance contest

Today is just about the first break we have had in a long time, so hence this post. Originally, I had intended to use this opportunity to start cleaning up and reorganizing the boat after the incredible mess I have made of it over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I started with the cockpit locker, only to discover a scary torn hose on one of the cockpit drains. This needs to be replaced but it is in a really awkward place for me to get to - the last time I worked in that locker, I thought I was going to get stuck down there permenantly, and I was a lot more flexible then than I am now - I may have to farm this job out to some younger, smaller person this time. But today is Sunday, so nothing is going to happen right away regardless.