August 2, 2013 ~ Sullivan Bay

Today was chore day, but of course with breaks here and there for more enjoyable activities.  Erin did several loads of laundry and washed windows while I crawled around in the engine room checking fluid levels, especially of the port transmission.  The transmission was down a bit, but the reduction gear wasn’t up over the full mark, so I think we’ll be okay just monitoring it more closely.  I have quite a bit of ATF, and will pick up some more as we head south if needed.

the cracked brass coupling

I also found the source of the fuel leak in the furnace line.  Back behind the transmission there apparently had either been a hose repair, or maybe the hose just wasn’t long enough when the initial furnace was installed back before we bought the boat.  The hose coming from the filter housing was just 3 feet or so long, and then was connected to the hose that went to the furnace pump.  There were two brass hose nipples, both screwed into a brass coupling, and the hose was clamped onto either end.  I could feel that it was wet with fuel, so I tightened the clamps, then released my fuel shutoff device – the vice grips on the line near the filter.  Without even turning on the auxiliary pumps, fuel began leaking from that connection.  The vice grips went back on the line, and I ended up cutting out that entire connection with a razor knife.  It turns out the brass coupling had a split in it that went all the way through. 

John Pratt looked through his odds and ends to see if he had some copper pipe that could be used as a coupling.  He didn’t have that, but he did have soldering equipment – and I had several varieties of epoxies that could be used, but I preferred to replace it if I could.  I checked with Chris, the manager here at Sullivan Bay, and he said they had quite a few brass fittings in their shop.  I browsed through several bins, and most of it was 3/8” and up, while this needed to be a 5/16” fitting.  I found a female T fitting that would work, if only I could find a plug for the third opening.  Chris found that – a piece of pipe with a cap on one end.  I cobbled all that together with some silicon tape and we were in business.  The pipe with the cap made a nice handle to ease forcing the fuel lines back over the hose nipples.  I released the vice grips, and had Erin turn on the auxiliary pumps while I watched from the engine room.  No leaks!

Erin and Rebecca spent some time going over her collection of shells that she’s gathered this trip.  It’s quite an exotic set of shells, and Rebecca has the procedure down pat for treating them to prepare them for display, with various concoctions of sugar and rubbing alcohol, depending on the creature.  She gave Erin a jar full of various small shells, and I think we’ll be stepping up our shell collecting efforts in the coming weeks.

The homeowner with the helicopter on his roof took off earlier this afternoon and headed west, probably for Port McNeil or Port Hardy to rent a video or pick up a dozen eggs.  He was gone for a couple hours, then came back, circled the dock and set it back down on the roof.  I got a video clip of the return flight – maybe it’ll make the trip DVD.

For dinner this evening we ate crab and more crab, plus the flounders I caught the other day.  Looks like I’ll need to catch a few fish tomorrow for some more fillets and to build up the supply of crab bait.  Laura and Lynn will be here sometime tomorrow, depending on when and where the fog is.  We’ll spend tomorrow night here, then go on an adventure.