Roy’s list of To Dos included troubleshooting the gremlin affecting our port engine; an intermittent starting problem that first raised its ugly head the morning we were leaving Koh Phetra. Fortunately we can bypass the starter switch, but we need a new relay nonetheless. Next up was finding the leak in our helmstation roof which was causing a nasty coca-cola coloured water to splash out from under the rubber trim as we rolled around in confused seas. Turns out the sealant in one of the holes Roy had sealed when we redid the solar panels shrunk, enough to create a small problem; easily solvable, but who would have thought the sealant could shrink to that degree! The rest of the tasks were primarily in preparation for going into quarantine, like running the watermaker to fill both tanks as we’re not altogether sure of the water quality at the quarantine anchorage, wiping certain areas of the ceilings with vinegar where the usual mildew accumulates from time to time, giving the interior a quick cleaning, returning the cockpit to a more presentable state, since the medical team require a clean, dry, outside area to conduct the medical examinations and COVID-19 tests and completing the last of the documentation for the officialdom process tomorrow.
In between all this activity Elaine also reviewed the cruising guide for the Phang Nga Bay area to give us some idea of a cruising itinerary after our quarantine period, but was in desperate need of a nap by then. Fortunately she felt a little more human afterwards, awakening to our freshly baked “we got here treats”; choc-chip chocolate muffins for Elaine and raisin and orange zest hot buns for Roy. Yummy!
The evening showers and thunderstorms arrived like clockwork, giving Paw Paw a lovely fresh water rinse. We’ve even managed to collect a few buckets of water to clean the heads (aka bathrooms).
Our day ended with a family Zoom meeting, but, unfortunately, since we’re on data roaming via the Malaysian cell phone provider, our data is limited and, therefore, curtailed our participation. Regardless, it was lovely to see everyone.
Guess we had a day of rest from sailing, but little else!
