Day 14

I’ve been in Batu Uban for two weeks now, I was sure it was only one, but then I did think everything seems to be taking me twice as long as I expected. so realising that Tim will be out in a week and a half, I was galvanised into working out priorities. So today ended up being very productive.
First I connected up the boats aircon, and was sort of happy to find it’s not pumping cool water, which could be easy to fix, as opposed to a coolant issue, and all the associated CFC issues. Knowing that the pump has to come out is enough for this to go on the back burner. A by product of this work was a 110V supply I can use for the legacy kit, including the microwave, that I tested, very pleased that it makes the classic ding sound when done.
Next I realised by changing the pipework a little I could fix the head, which didn’t take long at all.
I worked out the best way to ascend the mast, a job for this coming week, once I get a portable drill, to fix the new solar powered wireless wind anemometer. I’m going to use a safety harness connected to the main halyard with a prusik knot, there are steps on the mast, but I want something in case I slip. In anticipation of this job, I checked the boats navigation lights once the sun dropped behind the hills, I have a starboard light on the bow and a stern light that work. No port, steaming or anchor. The tricolour doesn’t work, and something marked flash didn’t cause any flashing anywhere, also the deck lights are dead, which are handy to illuminate the mainsail to make other boats aware of your presence. This is going to take at least half a day to fix.

I need to get the dinghy and outboard sorted next week, but all in all the jobs are going well, hoping to go out for a spin by Thursday. Trying to calculate the tides here is proving difficult. right now we are an hour or three after high water, depending on the tide table you use, I think high water was about 2 hours ago, yet the current hasn’t turned yet. It seems the current is least between high and low water, which is the opposite to what I was expecting. I think something odd is happening because I am in the channel between the mainland and the island of Penang with another island next to us. This matters mostly because I will  struggle to get out of the marina when the current is flowing fast, or at low water, due to the silting here.

It was very grey and overcast today, a lovely change as that made it a lot cooler.

Looking out to the rain forest island you could see the rain coming in

BU Day 14
Pulau Jerejak,. The Alcatraz of Malaysia also ex leper colony

Paul C

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