Week four in Keppel Bay Marina.  What was expected to be a quick visit has turned into four weeks but now there is a departure day in sight.

The time spent waiting has not all been idle.  Lots of small boat jobs have been completed, we’ve managed to go into town and get some shopping done and we’ve taken some time to relax and wander around the marina and along the beaches.

I did drop my phone over the side and have consequently lost a lot of photos and other information I had stored.  As well as addresses and phone numbers I lost lots of boat details like total underwater hull area and how much anti-foul I used on the last bottom paint.  How long the sheet ropes are, speed conversions and other boat trivia.  I guess I will work them all out again another time. 

Among other jobs I serviced the two big sheet winches. In one of them one of the roller bearings fell apart in my hand and on the other the pawl spring just wasn’t there. New ones were ordered and arrived so they got installed straight away.

A mechanic arrived today and conducted an oil pressure test on the engine.  Everything seems okay pressure wise so best guess is the pressure switch is dodgy and a replacement has been ordered.  The Yanmar service rep in Yeppoon was of the mind that it is an old engine, everything must be worn and parts would be hard to get so the best course of action would be to repower with a new engine – $20k and up to 6 weeks work.  The guy who came today found no real faults and a $70 replacement switch is on its way which means early next week we should be on our way. 

There is one more ‘tradie’ to call in tomorrow.  An electrician to help sort out the mess of wires that is the battery compartment.  He has suggested ‘a couple of days work’ so, like I said before, we should be on our way north early next week.

Our plan from here is another day or two at Great Keppel Island and then turn our head north and idle our way from island to island until Mackay as our next marina.