In Spinoza's Ethics Part 5, it says under Tenet 10: "As long as we are not assailed by affects contrary to our nature, as long as we are able to order and chain the bodily affections according to the order in the mind." That Japanese engineering, coupled with German engineering, has been abundantly assailed with these opposite, bad affects, and thus has prevented the mind from recognizing, I find out every year again, during the machine maintenance on our Katinka.
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| Motor Maintenance on the Katinka |
Not that our Yanmar (I knock on wood) doesn't run reliably, no, but when arranging the individual components and installing the machine in the boat, the affects that went through the engineers' minds must have been overwhelming. For example, you can only get the oil filter out by lying over the engine and reaching down with one arm along the engine block and turning the filter out. But then you don't have it out yet, you have to fumble the dripping oil filter upwards with two fingers between the engine wall and the side panel. Stupidly, oil has the property to change its viscosity at temperature and stupidly, oil changes its state from viscous to liquid at temperature, which is very helpful when sucking out the used oil. But until the oil is appropriately hot, the engine block always is. If you now lie on the block and reach down, you will burn your nipples and forearm. This is where the first yoga exercise comes in. I call it cat hump. The cat hump prevents the nipples from burning, but the forearm still has to suffer. When I was young, the cat hump was not a problem, but in the meantime, having come of age, the abdominal muscles have weakened, insignificantly, but still so much that quick action, is required. Now just do not, by the hot engine block, overwhelmed by the affects and cleanly arrange the mind and chain, because otherwise the oil filter, slips between the two fingers through and messes up the whole engine compartment. Another example is the impeller change of the sea water pump. Since the engine cannot be air-cooled, water is drawn in via a seawater pump and the engine is cooled via a heat exchanger. The pump was installed in such a way that it is not possible to remove the impeller with a so-called puller. This requires a clearance of at least 10cm, which is not present.
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| Impeller virtually inaccessible |
This is where yoga exercise number two comes in. I call it Spider. Spider because you actually need six hands, plus you have to be able to look around the corner. This exercises the neck and forearm muscles the most. With four screwdrivers one brings the neoprene wings of the pump, if possible on even pressure. Then try to pull the impeller from the shaft with the pipe wrench. The whole kneeling in twisted posture, which trains the back muscles in the hip area, the same. Good if then Gaby, as a emergency plan, is there, in order to dissolve possible knots, again. Here again, it is important to leave out the negative emotions (I'm going to drink the criminal who did this under the table), otherwise the impeller on the shaft won't move a millimeter. The fact that I survive such days at all, lies with Spinoza or with nature and the positive affects, which we may experience on our journey. Thus a 1m large turtle, romped this week at our jetty. Unfortunately, the animals are very shy and so it was also quickly gone and in search of ..., yes after what actually?
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| Katinka |
This reminds me of the story when the jetty neighbor asked me the other day what Katinka actually means. Katinka is the name of a mermaid who saw a young man sitting on a rock, looking longingly into the distance, out to the open sea. "What are you looking so sad about," she asked him. "Oh you know" he said, "all my life I have been looking out to the ocean and I would love to know what it looks like on the other side". Katinka kept coming and seeing the young man sitting sadly on the rock. In time she fell in love with him. One day she said "Come with me, I'll show you the other side of the ocean". The young man didn't need to be told twice and jumped after the mermaid. Katinka swam ahead and when she turned around, the young man had disappeared. Now she is looking for him all over the world and has meanwhile arrived in Cape Verde.
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| Mindelo, Cape Verde |
You can find out where else she is looking here at www.glenswelt.com. Until then, we wish you, as always, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.
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