Watching the weather and starting to plan a leave date (without thunderstorms) ...oh BUT wait - we don't have the VHF back from Navico (Simrad)!! Although it has been re-programmed (and apparently a board repaired due to non-reception) the Fedex shipment will not arrive until Wedn 27th (Mon being another bank holiday - why are we always caught waiting for parts over a bank holiday...!??). So we are resigned to completing other jobs - not least of which is an oscillating fan for the forward cabin (the nights are very hot!) and other items "on the list"! Then there is a beach to enjoy, a farmers market and a Manatee Observation centre to visit etc.. etc.. - so a few more days in Fort Pierce - we won't be lost as what-to-do!

Today was a day to tackle the sea-water drip around the impeller. Not easy (what is) due to the cramped conditions in the engine compartment and an unfortunate location of the HP pump support plate making it very fiddly! Difficulties aside - armed with new "Blue" gasket paste - off came the impeller cover and the paper gasket and on went the paste, screwed back in with Loctite pipe thread sealant and time to test. Oh....that drip is STILL there - annoying. A bigger job in hand tracing it somewhere on the engine side of the impeller casing - that's for another day. A trip to West Marine to change the fan (whilst it was oscillating it kept clicking and dropping back - we suspect a design weakness but we thought we would try another. A second provisioning trip by Di meant we were almost fully stocked - only fresh food to buy when we are ready to leave....(when the VHF arrives)! Finally, a swim beckoned, happy hour with a singer at the bar tempted us and then to delicious pizza and a movie on the boat.

As darkness fell those menacing thunder clouds amassed on the horizon - providing a spectacular show of lightning and thunder rumbles as we turned in to our cabin safely moored to the marina dockside once again - perhaps the wait on the VHF is to be well timed!  

Phil and Di