I spent Thursday & Friday battling in my engine room. My lift/feed pump is shot. I opened it up and noticed shards of metal in the pump housing. The “one way” flapper valve is worn and can not be fixed. I took the entire valve out of the housing, and replaced it on the motor. I pulled the electric fuel pump off of the diesel heater and put it inline before the feed pump. The fuel can only go one way right? After bleeding the fuel system at the injector, she fired right up. Cass was afraid we’d be waiting for parts in Panama City, when she heard the motor; I heard a voice from inside the cabin “Does this mean we can go now”?
We left Panama City yesterday at 2am. We motored most of the day, but mid-afternoon we got a nice 10 knot breeze from the North West. I hauled my big drifter out of the bag and flew it, we maintained a smooth 3 knots. We sailed into the anchorage at Espirito Santo under a nearly full moon, and dropped the hook around 7:30 last night.
Today I was in total decompression mode. Cass wanted to go running but there is no place to run, especially during hi-tide. I suggested rowing. Cass got in the dingy (I made her take a radio), and she rowed around the point and back (about 2 miles). We lounged around the rest of the afternoon until a fairly large squall came to visit. Our neighbors drug anchor and nearly hit the beach. There was a good amount of lightning, and tons of rain.
It’s really nice to be back here. There is only one other boat in the anchorage, and they’ll be leaving in a day or so.
I’m hoping to shoot a nice fish tomorrow.
Peace, Love, and Coconuts.
Alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
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