April 1, 2023 - Saturday

I finished my stove repairs last night, so celebrated by making my first hot meal this morning - breakfast burritos!   It felt so liberating to be able to walk away from the stove and have it stay lit.  Sometimes it is the little things...

My recently acquired (though dubious) stove expertise has gotten out a bit.  I was recruited to help a neighbor who is having problems similar to what my stove had.  He has a newer model, but they are basically the same.  Unfortunately, he had the same problem disassembling his stove that I encountered:  stuck screws!  I shared what I learned about troubleshooting, possible causes and remedies.  I left it with him to decide whether he wanted to break it to fix it as I ended up doing. 

Another neighbor gave me a spare burner for my stove, so I have added it to my larder of parts I may someday need...  They also gave me a pile of charts for northwest waters.  They will come in handy for local adventures after I get home.  These were generous and appreciated gifts.

I ended the afternoon drilling holes in my deck for the new blocks.  Making holes in your boat is never to be taken lightly.  When it is necessary, you want to do it well.  In my case, I am drilling 8 holes through the fiberglass deck, the plywood deck core and the fiberglass inside of the deck.  It is basically a sandwich-like structure.  I drill the holes larger than needed, then fill them with thickened epoxy (the original holes too).  After it cures, I drill correct size holes for the bolts used to fasten the new blocks to the deck.  What this does is seal the plywood deck core to prevent water intrusion - something to be avoided.  I'll do the epoxy work tomorrow.

I have enjoyed getting to know the local cruising community.  It’s an eclectic mix of folks, most from Canada or the US.   Most older, but some younger.  Many are somewhat permanent residents,  living on their boats seasonally or year-round, but not leaving the marina.  Some are seasonal, but moving on to other destinations as weather and inclination determine.  Some are permanent live-aboards slowly making their way around the planet.  One thing they all share is a willingness to share their knowledge, skills and resources to help one another out.