Work like dogs

The stern gland. The rudder stuffing box. The old log holes. The new log. The new depth sounder. The toilet through hull. The kitchen sink drain.

All make holes in the boat. They're not all the holes, mind you, I've never actually counted all of them, but there must be almost twenty. I'm filling five up and have created one new, enlarged one and am stuffing one more after having stuffed one today. It is absolutely amazing that we haven't sunk yet, and I sometimes dream about that. I used to think we were sinking after we bought the new anchor chain which made the bow drop several centimeters. I still sometimes fear one of the through hulls will fail, and there are so many of them.

No wonder I sometimes check on my three bilge pumps, to see if they're working properly.

But now the boat's on shore, and the risk of sinking is minimal. Quite fortunate, I must add, for there are very big holes in the bottom which still need filling, stuffing and a new through hull and seacock.

But the log and depth sounder work.

It's work. All that matters now is work.

I'm at the point when the work is actually starting to show a pace and a rhythm. I'm a big believer in the specific nature of work, that it requires us to feel its needs. Some work needs to be done instantly, but there is work that can only be done right after careful consideration.

One of the jobs I've always felt to be entirely autonomous is taking pictures. I don't mean the everyday pictures we all take, of people and places and situations. There are a kind of pictures which call for us to take them serious and they qualify as work. Photography is not really a hobby of mine, so I take pictures and sometimes they constitute work, as in, choosing the position and frame and timing and respecting these to create something.

So after my working day, I used the evening light and took some photos of dogs and their surroundings.

It wasn't exactly work, but it was fun. Who said work can't be fun?

Down below - and even further down.

The first few items have been crossed off the list. The ceiling was off once again to install the coachroof winch. Also, a new light spot has been added over the new sink I installed last year. The old light fixture is still there but it no longer contains a bulb as it's in a bad location and is never used owing to this.

Next item was the diesel tank. It got ruptured when we filled it last spring, so will get repaired by the original builder. They assured me heat welding PE is possible after being used, so we got lucky there. It also provides the opportunity to clean it out as I may have had a slight bacteria infestation two years ago.

While the tank is out, I've refitted the shore power installation. The wires run underneath the floorboards and with the tank out, getting at them is easy. The short in the circuitry is now gone and the wires neatly suspended from beams etc. Also, all the junction boxes have been made water tight - they were not.

I spent a dreadful two hours repairing the Henderson pump next to the loo. I'll not go into it too much. Suffice it to say I'll not be planning on doing that anytime soon. And I'll always stress proper usage of the toilet with any crew.

Next up is the mast top: weather permitting, I'll get up there and replace the wind instrument rotavecta as well as the wiring for the navigation lights. I should have done the wiring when the mast was down 4 years ago. One never anticipates enough the things that will break down. The wiring has been faulty for over a year, so it's about time I did something about it. I am also replacing the masthead anchor light with an LED to reduce consumption while at anchor.