We got quite a lot done today and had a very pleasant surprise.
The mornings started with a big clean up and some fixing. My first chore was to fix the toilet that Sam will be using. We’ve had a replacement pump for months but as noone has been using that head I’ve never got round to fixing the one that’s leaking. This will be the last of the original pumps that I’m replacing with the lock down ones – much better.
That done I tackled the grill which was filthy and not running as strong as it used to. It took me a while to clean the grills and to figure out how to disassemble the pieces so I could get at and remove the burner. Being able to access information online got me to the point where I could apply force to the right place and remove the various pieces.
Once they were all clean I was off to find parts. First stop was the Burnsco chandler where I was able to order a new burner which should arrive before Xmas. They didn’t have a pressure regulator for the dock water but pointed me towards a garden center that might.
I then visited the stainless steel place next door to talk about options for making a new helm seat. They wanted to look at pics on line but this ran into difficulties as their computer was running really slow. I fixed that for them and me made some progress but ended up with a few more things to think about and do.
Then it was off to the electrical shop to see if they had the float switch I need for the shower sump. Didn’t make a lot of progress here but I have their card and now need to refind the part online and call them to try and get it ordered in.
Nearby was the propane place so I filled a tank that had run out recently and then it was on to the garden center. They didn’t have the regulator but, again, were able to order some in. Hopefully by Xmas too.
While at the garden center I received a call from Ben to inform me that our friend Dick (Sam’s godfather) had shown up as they were passing through. They figured stopping for lunch here would be a good idea so they would have less hastle on Xmas day when they’re also due to visit. I dropped the last thing on my list to get back to the boat to say hello. In the end we had over a couple of hours together which was nice.
With time running out I was able to sort out one further item which was to acquire the Beachmaster wheels for our dinghy that we wanted. Once Ben has left, hauling the dinghy up and down tide affected beaches will be a chore for Helen and I so some decent wheel are essential. The boat that sells them is here in the marina although on the other side of the river. It only took about 10 mins to pick them up.
This evening Steve and Darusha from Scream popped by to invite us over tomorrow. We ended up inviting them in and chatting.
In between all of this Ben and I have been challenging ourselves with problems from the Project Euler website. The problems (requiring math and some computational skills to solve) are somewhat tricky but immensely rewarding to solve. I’ve nailed 13 so far but lost some hair over problem 29.
Sam is well on his way. We received a message from it from LA airport between flights. Up early tomorrow to get to Auckland airport to meet him.
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