Plan B1-2-3...

The last 24hrs was pretty wild weather. There was so much rain that yesterday they closed the canal, or more accurately they opened the lock doors, so they could drain water out of Gatun lake. This was only the third time the canal has been closed in its 96yr history. The last time it was closed for weather was in 1915. This was the heaviest rains recorded in the 73yrs that they have kept weather records in Panama. With the canal closed we were temporarily cutoff from Panama. Even after they opened the canal (and the bridge across the Gatun Locks), the road to Panama City was closed and our delivery was turned back.

It blew 25-30 all day and kicked up to a steady 35 for awhile in the late afternoon, but there was not much rain. There is a large breakwater, 4 miles in length, that protects Colon and the Gatun locks from the ocean; large waves were breaking right over the top of it. Shelter Bay is a protected lagoon off of the main harbor and there were 3' waves from the outer harbor breaking adjacent the entrance to Shelter Bay.

The cloud cover and wind kept the temperature down to the high 70's so I continued on with my projects inside New Morning. Yesterday I was able to complete part 1 which was to put the damaged pump back together to be able to use it (though it will be leaking) to limp across the marina after we go back in the water.

Yesterday I also started part 2 which was to separate the shaft seal vent from the engine sea water plumbing. I was able to dismantle the existing plumbing and work out the new solution. In the process I realized that the Lyman Morse plumbing was fatally flawed, it was more complex than just plumbing to the wrong side of the anti-siphon vent. Since the "T" they installed to bring the shaft seal vent into the engine was mounted below the waterline, it would either siphon into the cylinders, or siphon out the impeller cover; two bad choices. Today I ran new hose from the heat exchanger to the anti-siphon valve and then to the exhaust mixing elbow. Unfortunately the location of the anti-siphon valve and the path for the hoses made that much more difficult than it needed to be, but I'll spare you the details. I brought 6' of 1" hose and used exactly all of it; how lucky was that!

Finally I temporarily strapped the shaft seal vent about 10" above the waterline. That should be sufficient to get across the marina to a slip. Fay is bringing new vent line hose and then I'll be able to mount it higher and have a permanent solution.

But the weather has shifted our schedule. The delivery of the bottom paint was delayed by the road closures and it's not clear when it will get through. So we'll be on the hard longer than expected, I'm stuck in the Shelter Bay "hotel" and Fay has rescheduled her flight to Panama. We must be cruising again.