it’s that song again!

It’s that song again!

We have been at Boatworks for four weeks and yes, we had a long list of jobs to do and mostly annual maintenance, but unfortunately the list did grow and two weeks stretched in to four weeks. It was the longest stretch we’d left The Bossa out of the water since November last year, 8 months in fact, and who knows whether this contributed to our growing list but what we do know is we are so happy to have finally left The Boatworks. Yay!!!!!!

It’s that song again …

Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (such a lovely place) …

… You can check out anytime you like

But you can never leave …

Yes, that’s Boatworks! Fantastic facilities, service and care for our boats but as the dollars disappear and our (older) tired bodies have had enough, we all just really want to leave.

Rather than bore my readers with our long list, suffice to say that what really cemented our frustration was our starboard ‘good’ engine. It wouldn’t start when we launched. So we were in, then we were out … again. Our port engine had been removedn for planned maintenance and it started perfectly (only the slight issue of the ‘stop’ button not working … hmmm … it’s a B.O.A.T*!!)  Soooo, our 6 year old Yanmar starboard engine was then removed and rebuilt.  Argghhhhh!!!!

*For those of you wondering … B.O.A.T stands for “Break Out Another Thousand”!

Here’s a selection of photos from the last few weeks …

THE list which seemed to get longer & longer

Mainsail repairs meant we had an opportunity to wash the sail. Did it make a difference? We don’t think so.

Big job outing it back on esp’ when the lazy jacks kept bloody twisting!

Added … the hot water wasn’t working!

Anti foul done.

Then there was the saga of our engines …

Our port engine came out for some planned maintenance.

Back in & we thought we were ready to leave. Not to be!

We were in … then we were out … arghhhhhh …

Three (grey) heads are better than one! Gerry, Darren & Neville.

Nope it wasn’t the head .

Taken to Diesel Works for a rebuild & collected in the Boatworks courtesy ute.

Looking sparkling with a new coat of paint.

Now the real work starts … all the bits needed to be added!

Back in that bloody engine bay again hooking everything up.

You beauty … it’s going!!

Take two.  Yay!!!!!!!!!!  There were a few more challenges once underway but all sorted now we hope! (Bar the wind instrument which was fixed, now not fixed, we’ll just have to throw some grass in the air.)  I do think I’ll be dreaming about tools, engines, pumps and leaks for weeks.

A big thank you to Gerry from AQ who gave us not only the use of his mighty Magna but also his diesel engine knowledge and also to Darren who unexpectedly arrived to spend some time on AQ (he climbed the mast to remove our wind instrument and then jumped in to our engine bay).

Finally!

Our second launch.