This week is another busy week for us. Firstly, we have problems with our generator, which doesn't want to work the way we want it to. Then there's the last bit of hull cleaning to do, and just when you're convinced you've done everything so you can relax a bit, the unexpected happens.
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| Anchoring at 5 meters, Moorea |
The last remnants of the hull prove to be stubborn. The current is strong and at times I'm hanging on to my suction handle like a flag in the wind, fluttering along the side of the boat. Fifteen knots of wind and the odd excursion boat make for quite a bit of movement in the water. Nevertheless, I manage the last part of the boat and we have a clean hull again.
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| Generator on the Katinka Enjoy |
The generator is a little more stubborn. SV Tuvalu bought a new impeller for us in Papeete. It cost no less than 70 euros, obviously bought in a pharmacy, but in Tahiti you have to take what you can get. When we removed the old impeller, which we installed as a replacement for the defective one, all the blades were still in place. Nevertheless, I have no seawater flow. So I jump into the water again and clean the intake grille at the bottom of the boat. I also check the pre-filter again. All the pipes on the suction side are clear. The heat exchanger is also clear. I then take down the hose at the outlet connection of the heat exchanger and lo and behold: completely calcified. Not even a sewing needle can fit through it. I carefully knock the deposits out of the pipe so that the manifold doesn't break off. That would be fatal because I don't have a replacement on board. But all goes well, the pipe is free again and the flow is guaranteed once more. The generator no longer grumbles and does its job well. Great, a reason to celebrate. We do the same in our well-known beach bar, where we sit in the water. Relaxed and thinking of nothing bad, we enjoy the beautiful day. After all, everything is done and there is nothing to repair for the time being. In our exuberance, Gottfried and I decide to go on a snorkeling trip to Tiki Anchorage on the west side of Opunohu Bay.
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| Opunohu Bay, Moorea |
The next day, at 9 a.m., I pick up Gottfried and we set off across the bay together. We're almost there when the engine suddenly starts to stutter, just like Mrs. Baerbock. Anyone who knows Mrs. Baerbock knows that this doesn't mean anything good. Finally, it fell silent completely, which is completely atypical for Ms. Baerbock. Bitchy like a little child, again typical of Mrs. Baerbock, the Tohatsu refused to start. We slowly drift out of the fairway and come dangerously close to the reef. To avoid the danger of running aground on the reef, we have no choice but to take the oars in our hands. We row and row, but the current is so strong that we initially feel like we're not making any headway. Slowly but surely, we break away from the reef and head for the middle of the bay. The excursion boats give us a wide berth because otherwise they would have to help us. After a good hour and a half - we've already rowed three quarters of the way back - a jet skier approaches us and asks if he can help. He tows us to SV Tuvalu and I start to dismantle the carburetor. Despite cleaning, Mrs. Baerbock doesn't really want to. So I unscrew the pre-filter and discover that the bayonet catch on the engine is jammed or blocked. After pressing it several times, it works again and, after some persuasion, Mrs. Baerbock starts up again.
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| Sonnenutergang auf Moorea |
How I long to have my old Johnson back. You could give it castor oil to drink, it always ran. But complaining doesn't help, I have to see how I get on with the existing technology. At least we've now found a name for our Tohatsu outboard. And so from now on, our former German Foreign Minister will accompany us on all our journeys. I'm not quite sure yet whether that's okay and whether a Japanese company will approve. To be on the safe side, I've sent a request to the company management in Itabashi, Tokyo, saying that if they don't agree, they can send me the latest model in exchange for mine. As long as I don't get an answer, our outboard on the Katinka Enjoy is called Mrs. Barbock. I have named the small 2.5 hp model, also from Tohatsu, Mr. Habeck. After all, at least the naming on the Katinka Enjoy has to be stringent. Well, I would have liked to show you a few pictures of the Tikis under water, but postponed is not canceled. We will try again. You'll find out whether the next attempt will be successful in the next blog. Until then, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.
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