My Swim

Today was the nicest day we've had here so far, with quite a lot of sun in the morning and light winds - around 5-8 knots but still from the east. I took everything out into the sun, all the sheets and all the cushions and covers . I also opened all the storage compartments and let the breeze blow through all day, trying to get the boat aired and less musty inside. I also went for a brief swim, with flippers and goggles to inspect the hull and the anchor. The water was warm enough, and of course very clear so it was easy to see the bottom and note what a good grip the anchor had over a lump of coral. I was surprised to find several barnacles attached to the hull - and removed them.

After lunch I went ashore hoping to find the little store open but though its Monday, it appeared to be some sort of holiday as the kids weren't at school and the grown ups weren't at work. I watched young men in their outrigger canoes, modern lightweight fiberglass ones that were very fast - I think they might be training for races sometime soon. There were also a number of younger boys, around 10 or 12 years I would guess who had small roosters on a leash and they were getting them to fight.

The reason I was hoping the store would be open was to repay the guy who changed my money last Saturday, but also to see if he sold fuses. During the evening before, just after I sent the last Blog post, I realized that my Xantrex battery monitor was doing weird stuff, and then I realized that the Air Breeze wind generator was malfunctioning. It looked as if we were on the verge of an electrical breakdown - and me on the edge of a nervous one again! My initial reaction was of despair, knowing that I am ignorant of things electrical, and I decided I would have to conserve what Battery was left, maybe recharge with the motor, and add that to the list of things to fix in Papeete. I just felt so depressed and burdened with it all and sat there in the dark trying to talk myself into believing it wasn't all that important a problem - but it felt big to me. I finally decided to at least just look at the wiring, about which I knew almost nothing, and I started at the Batteries. I found a loose connection and hopefully tightened it up but nothing changed. I found some moist wiring at the back of the Switch Panel and dried that off and gave it a squirt of CRC - nothing changed. I dried wires everywhere and still nothing changed. But then I found a small box, about twice the size of a matchbox half hidden under the quarter birth, not fixed to a panel but dangling from a whole lot of wires that went into and out of it.. I didn't know what it was but when I pulled its little plastic cover off, I noticed fuses, and they were all immersed in a thick gloop of seawater and fibres and silty muck. And the fuses were labeled Amp Meter, Solar, Wind…and the Wind fuse was corroded and collapsed. After cleaning all the muck out I shifted the good solar fuse into the Wind Fuse spot - and Hey, the Wind Generator was working again. And when I put it in the Amp Meter spot - the Xantrex worked perfectly too!: Problems solved : that made me feel good! All I need to do is get a few fuses, and if not in Avera there will surely be some in Moerai, so I may be revisiting Moerai tomorrow. The GRIBS look OK for departure for Tubuai on Wednesday - which is Thursday in NZ and Australia -or possibly the day after. It will be nice to be in a lagoon and not anchored in the ocean so I shall be pleased to get moving again. I remain an illegal immigrant.

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