July 12, 2001 -- A Bottom Cleaning We Will Go

After learning how to use the hookah rig yesterday, we made plans with Sam and Micki to work on the bottom of our boat today. They showed up around 9:30 this morning. We worked for a little while getting everything set up, then took a break before getting suited up and underwater. We spent the morning doing two dives. I was having a slight problem with my mask; it was leaking! After our second dive, I was on my way out when my mask decided it could no longer go to windward, and leaped from the boarding ladder to float to Trinidad! Mike, being the generous soul that he is, offered me the use of his mask. While Sam watched over the dive compressor, and Micki and I dived on the bottom of the boat, Michael braved the engine room and changed the oil in the main engines. This is no trivial task! He had no breeze, and was stuck in a cramped position while he pumped out 15 gallons of oil from the engines and then pumped 15 gallons back in! Also he had to change the oil filters. One was easy, it was right by the crawl space. However, the other one was outboard of the engine. He could either work blind or crawl behind the engine to replace it! We felt that since it was time to change the oil, and with the fact that a tropical depression had formed then dissipated to the east of us earlier this week, we wanted the engines ready to make the run to Venezuela if needed. While this run has about a .00000001 percent chance of being executed, we just feel better having the boat ready to go if needed. The few times that anything has approached the island they turn north and head up. But if something is 72-48 hours out and has not turned yet, we are off the Venezuela and a nice little bay with 360 degree protection from wind and swell. This we can easily do as it's about 180 miles from here and we can travel that in less then 24 hours. Everyone took a break at noon for lunch. Sam volunteered to run to Choo Light for egg rolls, wonton soup and fried rice. The food wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't Chinese! After relaxing for a bit after lunch, we dived again and finished all but about 10 feet of the port side of the boat. After all of that, we spent a quiet evening on the boat