We finally drained the starboard tank. Now we can shovel out the Aluminum Chloride crystals plus swab down the inside with vinegar. CA insists that clean water is important.

I suggest that gin is a viable alternative to water. She reminded me of the old Erie Canal song, the E-Ri-E Canal, usually called The Erie was a-Rising.

Even then, gin may run out some day.

So.

She's cleaning the starboard tank.

Consignment "Selling"

We dropped of a boat-load of used stuff at Nauti Nell's. With luck, some of it will get sold. Otherwise, she'll dispose of it.

Of course we bought a bunch of used stuff while we there. Pictured above is our new 21" Polyform ball. When you look at it on the used fender pile, it looks huge. Unreasonably huge. When you look at it in the context of Red Ranger, you want three more to go with it.

At least three. And maybe a pair of red ones, too.

Last night, CA reorganized the screws. She was tired of me taking out three separate boxes to find one lockwasher. And she was tired of me cussing out the slotted screws. We prefer square drive or Philips.

While she did that, I started to clean up the mess I made replacing the alternator and adding a proper external regulator. It did seem to involve almost every tool we own.

Next up. Check the diesel tanks for water. Check the oil. Open the through hulls and see how Mr. Lehman feels after a winter of layup.

Epic Fail

We tried to install a Shurflo Waterguard™ RV210BRB inline filter. Then we took it back out.

This filter appears to require relatively high pressure to work: 20 to 125 PSI. Our pump can barely squeeze the accumulator tank up to 40 PSI after a minute of chugging with no filter in place.

It absolutely could not pressurize the accumulator at all with the Shurflo in-line filter in place. We let it run for 2 hours. Still chugging. Not up to 40 PSI.

Too bad. The form factor of a small inline filter is ideal. However, we can't create enough pressure to use one of these. So. We'll have to use something larger and more complex to install.

Or switch to drinking gin.