April 19-20, 2023 - Wednesday & Thursday

Wednesday found me in a rather down mood.  I slept in, read, took a walk and a nap.  I did not get much boat work done.  My food supply was getting low, but the thought of footing it to Walmart didn't sit well, so I bought a few items at the local Tecate store (small convenience store).  I did some puttering around on small boat tasks.  I adjusted the tarp that shades the deck.  I measured the fuel board I need to cut (more on that later).  One of my bilge pump hoses needs to be replaced, so I measured the size and length needed.  That's about all for the day.  I think I just needed a break...

Thursday morning I checked on the cruiser's net to see if anyone had some spare hose I could buy for my pump.  No luck there.  I needed 1 1/2" hose and knew I would not find it at any local stores, so a trip downtown might be necessary.  Not my first choice as trips like that tend to eat up an entire day...  There are a couple of marine shops at the Fonatur boatyard and I have had luck in the past when I needed materials.  I tried MTZ Yachts and after some digging, found some nice sturdy hose for a reasonable price.  It is the same hose used for sanitary connections, so it is thick, heavy and stiff.  Perfect for a bilge pump.  

Before hauling out, I had been sleeping in the aft quarter berth.  It has room for two, is located partially under the cockpit and is pretty comfortable.  While on the hard, I did engine maintenance and worked on the propeller and drive shaft.  I needed access to the engine and also the transmission and drive shaft area.  This meant I needed to move out of my roomy space and into one of the pilot berths in the main cabin.  

Engine and Quarter Berth Areas

The pilot berth is located above the cabin seats on the outside wall of the cabin.  It is skinny, but cozy.  There are lee cloths as well which keep you from rolling out when the boat is underway.

Pilot Berth - Starboard Side

Since putting the boat back in the water, I have continued to sleep in the pilot berth so I could work in the stern of the boat without having to deal with my bedding, etc.  I had the stern locker to work on, the bilge pump hose to replace, I needed to inventory what is stored in the area below the mattress and other work.  It was just much easier to stay in the pilot berth until all the other projects were finished.



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