Blowing stink

Kerm here,

We made the right decision to stay in port.  It's crazy out there.  We're in the shelter of a bay and have a 46 footer on the windward side of us but still are being knocked around.  The wind is blowing 20 + with gusts as high as 30.  No way would I want to be at anchor.  No way.  At least we are at a decent location with services just across the street.  All we need now is a Walmart to get a new camera and a Home Depot for a little repair job in the bilge. 

I just went outside to check lines and added one more line and repositioned the bumpers.  For those unfamiliar with docks down here most of the marinas have stationary docks with very short fingers and you tie to pilings midships and aft plus crossed bow lines to the dock.  Tying is further complicated by the tide going up and down from 2 to 6 feet depending on where you are and the wind pushing water in or out of where you are.  The lines need to be tight enough to hold you into your spot but loose enough as to not be too tight at either end of the tide change.  Also you have to keep in mind that during a full moon and no moon the tides are lower than normal at low tide and higher than normal at high tide.  This plus during the winter months the low tide tends to also be lower than in the summer months.  Typically you run fore and aft lines just like normal but additional spring lines running from the aft posts to forward on the boat and from mid posts to aft on the boat.  Sprinkle additional lines to taste.  The dockmasters tend to give you the "you are truly an idiot" look if you don't do it right and will actually give you the time of day if you nail it.  We have been on the receiving line of both attitudes.

Me, the bilge rat.  I like the bilge to be clean and dry.  There tends to be no boat smells if you keep it that way.  While a pool of fresh water will eventually start smelling even a small pool of salt water will go rancid in a hurry.  Stinky!  Over the last few weeks I had noticed a very small amount of fresh water coming in from somewhere.  I just thought it was from washing the boat or rainwater overwhelming the gutter around the rear hatch.  Nope.  One of the water tanks is leaking.  I figured it was probably a fitting behind a nonstructural bulkhead.  I had to pull the insulating tiles off said bulkhead and cut an opening large enough to get at the fittings.  Nope.  The fitting were just fine.  Nuts,  a weld on the tank is cracked in an area that is not easy to get to.  Major surgery is required to get to it and I'm not about to do that on the run so I'm just going to button things up and only use this tank for the Bahamas.  The leak is just a drip so we'll use this one up first.  The way we use water we'll just have to put up with it for about a month. 

Speaking of fresh water,  In the Bahamas nearly all water comes from reverse osmosis (RO) water plants.  The RO process requires large amounts of electricity and that electricity comes from diesel power plants.  Between the high maintenance cost of running a RO plant and the cost of diesel, water is an expensive commodity.  Because of this marinas typically charge for water.  At slips and fuel docks the water is metered and the typical cost is 50 cents per gallon.  So stock up on paper plates, plastic silverware and wash first in salt and rinse with fresh.  Washing the boat with fresh water is out of the question.