Back at Crab Creek

Catchin' up on the old blog...

October 18, 2019..back aboard Shakedown.  Wouldn't you just know it?  Pouring down rain, leaks even though boat is almost fully cover by tarps.  At least the tarps lasted for four long months of the rainy season here.  Spent the next couple of weeks getting reacquainted and getting settled back in.

Needs a bit of cleaning after sitting for several months neglected

This is NOT what you want to
see at a mooring field.  Our
neighbor's sailboat, which was
floated and hauled out four days
later

November...spent the month just mostly hanging out and watching football (NFL) on Monday Night, Thursday Night, Sunday Football.  Of course over here, we actually watch on Tues, Fri, and Mon.  Early.  Still working on finding leaks and attempting to patch them.  Not having too much success.  Did manage to make an improvement by purchasing and installing a new galley sink faucet.  Looks much better than the original one we installed way back in 2007.  We're now firm believers in the "10-year-rule".  Every 10 years, one must replace everything in their boat...simultaneously.  Sort of like an unwritten warranty.  We're two years behind, and the "stuff" is letting us know...big time.  


December....We got to visit with Adrian and Christine (of Rainbow's Shadow) who drove up from Gold Coast City Marina, about an hour south of Brisbane and spent the night aboard, but needed to get back the next day.  It's always fun to have them around.    The Toyota started to become difficult.  After driving the dinghy to the launch ramp (where we park dinghy next to), and hike over to where the car is parked, it refused to start (or even turn over).  Panic ensued, as a grocery run was in the immediate plan.  Got the hood up, found the battery hiding under a cowling forward of the windshield to have a look.  Since no tools were readily available, nothing much more to do than look for someone in the neighborhood that 1) had jumper cables, and 2) could provide a jump from their vehicle.  The guy that lived across the street had a vehicle, but no cable.  But he took off into the neighborhood and found a set.  We got the car started!.  Drove around town but didn't want to stall again, so when I parked at various places, just left car running.   Bought a new battery and charger, installed new battery, drove back to launch ramp where dinghy was parked, loaded old battery and charger in dinghy, returned to Shakedown.  Battery charged up just fine.  Next day reinstalled old battery, left new battery behind driver's seat.  Left the 10mm wrench in glove compartment.

Two days later, returned to car to buy groceries, etc.  Dead battery!  Repeated previous swap-out process, drove to store (wondering what could have drained battery so quickly).  When returning to car and pulling grocery cart around to rear, I noticed the right rear brake light was on.  Ah Hah!  That must be the culprit.  I did the mechanical voodoo trick, opened and slammed the rear hatch (door).  The light went off.  Problem solved, right?  Nah.  Must be loose wire or something.  Got back to launch ramp, opened hood, pulled negative wire off battery (just in case), locked up and headed back to Shakedown.  And that's the way I left it...hook up battery, start car, go to store, return, unhook battery, back to boat.

We got to drive to Costco the Saturday before Christmas week.  First time for us, and it was fun.  It took two hours to drive there (just north of Brisbane) and we got to spend about that amount of time just going up and down all the isles to see if there was any difference between this stores and those we'd previously visited in the States.  No glaring differences with exception of the meats (all Australian - no USDA) and various small differences.  We really didn't have a lot to purchase, so walked out of there having spent less than a hundred bucks (unheard of...right?).  Re-attached battery cable, drove back to Tin Can Bay.

Quietly watched Christmas and New Years pass by, awaiting dawn of the new year.