At the point where I was about to go for a sail after all the work I had completed on 'Mariner' last year I found there was a leak in the diesel tank. I wasn't able to deal to the tank right away because we were headed off overseas for the birth of our second grand child.
A couple of days ago I took the tank out. As the tank was installed before fitting the engine the only way to get down into the engine space to take the tank out (and to re-install it) is to remove the engine - and I'm not going to do that. The only solution to get the tank out was to spend a very long time lying on my stomach on the cockpit floor with my head upside down trying to use a socket set and various other tools to unbolt the tank and detach all the hoses and pipes. The tank fits under the cockpit floor to the right in the photo. Re-fitting the tank is going to be just as awkward.
The diesel fuel tank is now back on the boat awaiting my acrobatic head-standing ministrations, but with three days of rain forecast it will be next week before I can get it fitted. I have taped down the access panel, fitted a small cover over the cockpit and hope that will keep the water out.
A sail (albeit an Autumn sail) is on the horizon and I am looking forward very much to that. On that day I am sure I will be serenaded by the dinghy with an appropriate song - she will probably sing 'I Did It My Way' without specifying who the "I" is - certainly not Lady Luck, at this point in the proceedings - possibly the "I" is Mr Karma, although what I have done in my past to deserve all this gymnastic grief is beyond my reckoning! (Actually there is quite a lot, but let's not go there).
6 comments:
I weep for you Alden..ðŸ˜. I once had a similar experience, but with the toilet!!....
At least all the physical effort and gymnastics involved is probably good for me and stretching all these aged muscles won't do me any harm. To date I haven't had too many problems with the ships toilet, but they say there is a first time for anything ..... Big boat problems, no wonder there is a bit of an exodus to small boat sailing by some of us old buggers.
Old bugger!..speak for yourself;)
Quite right Paul, I am speaking for myself and I mean "us old buggers" in a deeply caring and inclusive way LOL ..... "age unchallenged" or (in my case) "66 years young" sounds so fucking naff : >)
Just remember the old rule of boat building.
"if you put it there, you are the right guy to get it out!"
In my launch which I fitted out myself, I have been proving that rule for 14 years.
Do I curse, you bet....but I put it there I now need to get it out.
Good words of advice Don - and of course you are correct, if anyone is qualified to put it back it's the person who put it there in the first place!
I am encouraged to put it back as soon as possible as the tape I used to seal the floor hasn't worked very well and today I had to bail a couple of buckets of water out of the bilge - the sooner I get on and get the tank back in and the cockpit floor properly sealed the better.
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