Day 195 & 196: This is one shitty job

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


Sunday was Jessie's last day and we spent most of it hanging out on the fly bridge and swimming.  We had a nice lunch up at the yacht club and then just as soon as she was here, she was gone again.  It was great to have my parents and Jessie down here, and I have to say that it was very nice of the owner to ask them.  I know that we will all be back here again someday.

The owner, Graham and Marvin wanted to go out fishing just after Jessie left so I got the boat ready to go.  Instead of taking Jessie to the airport I simply said goodbye to her at the yacht club.  After some thought and a word from the dockmaster we decided that it would be better to wait for the tide, especially considering our port prop was in the sand.  With that being said I took off on the scooter to try and catch Jessie.  Just as I pulled up to the airport the plane was pulling out on to the runway.  I felt like I was in one of those stupid love stories where some couple has a bad break up and then last minute the guy decides that he really does want to be with her so he rushes to the airport on his scooter and chases her down the runway, crashes the scooter in to the plane, scrambles through the smoke and rubble, somehow manages to find the girl, who is still in perfect condition, gives some sappy speech and kisses her while at the same time all the authorities and airport personal are in the background clapping and crying instead of arresting the stupid ass hole for driving down the runway and crashing a plane...................anyway it didn't go like that at all but I waved to the plane on the edge of the runway as the flew by and lifted in to the air.  Much less dramatic I know.

After I got back the owner decided that the three inches of water we had gained while I was gone crashing airplanes was enough to leave.  We shoved off the dock in to deep water, put her in reverse and waited.  Suddenly the boat stopped dead in her tracks.  The owner, who was at the helm, leaned over and asked if we still had a line attached.  I said nope but we did just hit bottom.  He tried again but we went no where.  We pulled back in to the dock and immediately got in the water.  Sure enough the port blade was not only bent but chipped as well.  I fired up the third lung and we bent the blade back in to position with a crescent wrench and a long pipe and searched around for the missing piece of blade...no luck.  After an hour or so, when the tide was much higher, we pulled away from the dock to go out fishing.  Luckily there was no vibration at any rpm's and it should be good to go until we get back to the states.  On the other hand the macerator pump would not pull a suction and a bad impeller was certainly the problem.  After two hours out on a glass calm ocean we returned to the dock with our bait still in tact.  It was an amazing sunset and moonrise however as we are approaching a full moon.
The night was fairly low key and an early bed time was in order.

I woke up early this morning and after looking at Elle Macpherson, our neighbor for the last few days, I got to work.  She was leaving today and was out and about.  She was a really nice lady.  We talked to her for a long time last night as her son was creating a crowd with his barracuda carcass that he had tied to a rope.  A shark was going nuts and it was very entertaining to watch.  I planned on washing the boat right off the bat but just as most days go I was side tracked with other chores for awhile.  The owner wanted his shower sump cleaned and that led to cleaning the air conditioning units as well.  I finally got to washing the boat and it took me about four hours.  I got some help every now and then from the owner but for the most part it was a one man show today, which I don't mind at all.  I love washing the boat.  After that I went up and talked to the divers about possibly diving with them on Friday at danger reef.  The owner gave me the O.K. and boy am I excited.  The video in the dive shop shows huge reef sharks and huge grouper and turtles so I am very excited!  After lunch at the yacht club my next project was staring over my shoulder.....the macerator pump, hence the title of the blog.
I slowly went down to the engine room and got to work.  Once I was in to it though I was working fast and efficient.  It took me about two hours for me to completely tear down and disconnect the motor and pump housing.  I got it on the work bench and tore the whole pump down to check for clogs as well as pull out rubber from the impeller.  I greased up the new impeller, pooped it in (typo :-)), put the macerator plate back on and reversed my process.  Just like that I was done.  A year ago something like that would have scared the hell out of me.  Now I just dive in to it.

Thursday we will be leaving Staniel Cay for good to head to Sampson for a couple of days.  After that we will head south to Georgetown for the huge regatta they are having.  Every local I talk to is going and I have even heard rumors that I may be on an A-class sloop for one of the races.  After that my campaign in the Bahamas will end just as quickly as it started and my time on Sound Waves will come to and end.  May 1st is the target date for my return to Chicago where my focus will turn back to Bonita.

Sound Waves Out