Getting Ready

Fortunately (or un) not a lot to report. We have made slow but very good progress in getting Flying Fynn 90% ready. Yesterday, for the first time they could run both/their engine and generator set. Might sound like a trivial accomplishment, but it was not. We had been waiting for the electrician  to arrive and finish off the generator (he was due last Wed). He unfortunately was delayed as he had a breakdown problem of his own.. So on Friday, he set about getting their fridges working. His last remaining task was to commission he generator and since it couldn't run.... In the process of getting the generator to work we experienced he joys of air-locks in diesel engines ( Perkins and Westerbeke) and how to remedy that..

Last Saturday, Ian's cousin, Paul and Lynne arrived from Oz, with 2 Square bears (Bundies).. A good night was had by all... ;-) closely followed by a not so productive Sunday for some of the previous night's participants (you know who you are).

Our plan at the start of the week was to get the generator set working, as the previous owner had assured Mike, that 'occasionally the generator needs to be bled and then it purrs like a kitten.. As we discovered, he was telling a porky pie... 

On Monday we believed we were close to getting the generator running, but we by the end of the day, we had to concede defeat. Later in the day the fog rolled in..

Locks opening up (letting in water and fog)

Rhone barge

On Tuesday, Ian and Shelly on TAG set off on their trip with us looking forward to joining them.. We returned to Port Napoleon to sort out Flying Fynn's main sail furler as they had a cherry picker and hopefully get a mechanic to look at the generator.. The mechanic didn't arrive, but we managed to trace part of the generator problem to a cracked filter(had been repaired on a previous occasion, only to finally break). This would cause the generator to run for 7 minutes and die.. Mike purchased a new filter and we installed it hoping our troubles were over.. We were wrong, they were mostly over as the generator ran now for 15 minutes, but we quickly identified the problem, the fuel pipe from the new filter to the electric pup was cracked and was letting in air, we were confident we had the problem sorted ... By this time is was getting late and we had to head back. As we were unable to get access to he cherry picker, we were advised that we could use it on Wed Morning 08h00..

Early Wed morning, as I approached Flying Fyn and Michelle told me Mike was down below cursing, the main engine after running for 5 minutes, died.. Which mean we weren't going to make our appointment with the cherry picker. The Mechanic was called and he provided some advice, but the prognosis looked dire.. He left and any hope of leaving any time soon left with him.. We knuckled down and by lunch time had both engines running perfectly (much to everyone's else's surprise). Mike managed to get an appointment with the cherry picker on Friday as today is a public holiday..

Wed am, before I went aboard..

So today we are relaxing and prepping for tomorrow, which hopefully with bring us closer to departure. The forecast for the next few days is not good, as a Mistral has been forecast..   

Visitors..

True to the forecast, mother nature is doing her thing... We'll have to wait till Monday before we can set off to do anything