This past week was a relatively quiet one. We visited Eudora each day, and completed some maintenance projects. As we are making the boat our own, there are a lot of small and large projects creeping onto the to do list.
The first project that was completed this week was re-seating the cockpit door. The screw holes had gotten stripped, and the door was constantly getting stuck when trying to open and close it. Matt sealed all the holes with some Marine Tex putty, let it cure for many many days (it kept on raining), and then re-threaded the screw holes. Now the door opens smoothly (like buttah)!
The other big ticket items that Matt scratched off the list this week, were changing the hoses on the generator, as well as replacing several worn hoses and the raw water and coolant pumps on the wing engine. To quote Matt, it was a “pain in the behind” job. The engine room is a generous enough workspace, but it’s hard to reach into the smaller nooks of the engine.
The wing engine is our backup engine. Should anything go wrong with our main engine while we’re out, the wing engine will get us home, meaning that we really do need to keep it in working order. Some of the hoses had been cracked and chafed with age, but it’s an important repair, as a failed hose can mean water on the boat. Now that the hoses have been replaced, it’s unlikely it’ll need to be done again for a few season. Fun(?) facts: 25 feet of hose were used, and a dozen Mikalor clamps. The job took a good six hours from start to finish.
Last Friday, my sister came on a surprise visit to Vancouver for the weekend! I loved having her here, she’s my BFF, and I’ve missed being able to hang out. I had no idea she was coming, but Matt was in on it 🙂
We did some touristy things with my sister, visiting the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge right here in North Vancouver. It was a drizzly day, but it was so nice to walk along the boardwalk in the forest, and see the waterfalls and the suspension bridge. We’ll definitely visit the park again, it’s such a cool place to explore, literally right here in our very own backyard.
We also took the seabus across the harbor into downtown Vancouver, and tried out the Fly Over Canada experience. It’s a virtual 3D ride over the Canadian landscape. Pretty cool experience, I loved flying above the prairies and the mountains, but I definitely wish that it was a longer ride.
We finished up the weekend with drinks and food at the Tap & Barrel. Delicious fried chicken mac & cheese for me, and a tasting flight of wines and ciders. I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the Lonsdale area.
Having my sister visit was so good for my soul. We laughed lots, but once she left, I felt her absence even more than before. Where she had sat in our salon aboard Eudora the day before, joking and laughing, now it’s empty and quiet again. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. <3
