Fruit, Dead on Arrival

This is a cruising boat, but there seems no 10,000+ mile male or female crew members can resist doing anything else other than buying the brightest and prettiest laid out red tomatoes and the brightest yellow bananas in well-supplied shops and markets. These items are called perishables, and they are, fast; and they are legends in the distribution business. If they are a perfect red or yellow, they have no more than half a day before they are too ripe. Tomatoes are soft and bananas get black speckles on the outside and are going brown on the inside. Then I find them wasting space in the rare and expensive atmosphere of a chiller or fridge. Both should be bought green, and not kept in a fridge.

BTW, the other common wasting fruit are the avocado and papaya (pawpaw) both  ripe today and dead tomorrow; and don't ever buy mangoes that are soft to the touch, they have already passed on. 

Music and Insects, the real reasons for Airconditioning

I have airconditioning on my boat, which since 2004 (est.) has not worked. What I found, on purchase, a Climma evaporator in the saloon with the controller missing, some chocolate block and a variable inline engine room fan attached to the radiator with a bit of plywood. The direction of the ducting was incorrect and as a unit it did not work. On further examination, the fan was jury rigged on to the radiator and was actually finished. Dometic offered a replacement evaporator for GBP8,000 last year (2022) at Southampton - Dometic is not an option because they do not provide spares support for their toilets.

Fortunately, I sailed across to Antigua and found A Zero Degrees, who fix airconditioning systems, outside Nelson's Dockyard in a small cyan-coloured office with Anthea, Marlon and Van. Like all of us, I have substantial experience of idiots providing minimal engineering skills to the marine industry at vastly inflated prices and I am suspicious from the beginning of discussions. No, they could not get a replacement evaporator for eight weeks but the price was sensible and for the correct unit, I was flying through UK and they had one in two weeks, but A Zero had the controller board and capacitors, which was a good sign, indicating they really were in the business.

This is a long story so some abbreviation: the compressor needed the hot/cold solenoid valve replaced and the sea water pump replaced for 50/60Hz operation, so it now works (on both). The forward cabin evaporators needed some attention and the control panel was replaced together with a  number of capacitors. All done and fixed. Great job by A Zero, Antigua. Thank you.

But this is not the story. Neither I nor my wife need or want airconditioning, heating is another matter, but it is not even about that. The reason you need airconditioning is two fold. First, in many anchorages and marinas there is a US$200 4,000W amplifier that plays appalling music until two in the morning, and you know it. Second, there can be insects everywhere there is a light source, and you know that too. These are the two main reasons you need airconditioning. Also, you will get your batteries to float for the first time in many months; that you did not anticipate. 

Have a good one! Best,

Terre-de-Bas

I am pleased to announce that The Borderline is an official selection for the SOTAMBE International Film and Arts Festival (SOTAMBE IFAF) to be held in Kitwe in The Copperbelt from 22nd September. I look forward to seeing you there.

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