Head First

Down at the Docks

It’s been a little over 3 weeks since we arrived in Deltaville and all I’ve seen of the Captain is ahemmm!… his rear end!  He’s been head first in the bilges, in the engine bay, in the rear lockers, in the water tanks and especially in the head….

The Cap'n tests all his new equipment

Heads, as every landlubber knows are fickle devices - ones that cause embarrassing moments such as not working or blocking up. They’re a likely cause of sinking (stinking too!) the boat or even worse, guaranteed, at their mere mention, to incur the Captain’s wrath.  Here in the US, they are very head conscious and have potty patrols (in stinkboats, ha ha haaaa!!!).  I kid you not!!  You can be waved down, boarded and have your heads checked and tested – making sure that you’re not, sin of sins, pumping overboard. Then you're fined too!  In the interests of sound ecological practices aboard WJ3, we have turfed out our forward cabin head and replaced it with a new COMPOSTING loo.  Yes, that’s right folks, made by sailors for sailors, composting loo.  We have humped aboard a large bag of peat moss for said compost starting agent and….when it’s fully installed, cross our fingers and hope it really works.  And or course, at that time, it will be christened “the turdis”.

Survived another winter...

Enough potty humour for now… WJ3 is well on the way to becoming a spoilt princess as more and more repairs, maintenance or upgrades are completed. Two new sails (Rolly Tasker spinnaker & storm trysail); a series drogue; a wash-down pump (to wash muddy anchors & stop GS swearing – sound carries across water you know!); a cute little crane to lift Bruce’s engine (no more winch grinding now!); a new stereo and assorted electronics including the autopilot, to replace our Titusville frizzled ones and finally, a nice new radar to complete her ensemble. 

It's still a long way to the bath house

Bruce has not been spared beauty treatment either.  He sports new wheels (in a lovely grey to match his sun jacket) and will soon have a boarding ladder fitted.  The GS’s slithering seal impersonations (getting on/off Bruce from the water) inspired this addition.  Why can’t everyone be graceful like skindiving super-chick, Valerie Taylor?

Adds a whole new meaning to "outdoor dunny".
Photos of toilets?  OK, so we're excited to go composting.

From the First Mate’s perspective, nasty mould has been cleaned off woodwork; water tanks have been cleaned out and refilled (twice); a new freezer installed (at last, one that works!); another sewing machine (canvas work not quilting, darn!) has been added to the “fleet” – we have at least one each per boat now; nautical pictures have been hung jauntily on walls, and best of all, new, comfy mattresses installed.  Guests will appreciate the new luxe look in their aft cabin.    

Hooray!  New mattresses thanks to Dennis in Deltaville

This week’s major challenge is to drive (on the correct side of the road) to Richmond to renew our cruising permit… If not then it’s back to the boat to spend the rest of our sailing season growing veggies in our cockpit.  We’ll have lots of compost, you see.  Yes, the Captain actually convinced a local that’s what we were going to do with it….