Thursday after action reports

Well, here we are doing the after action reports.

Last night, Pastiche did a bang up job serving a fine feast for our famished friends. Really. We all ordered from the "Prix Fixe" menu, which is a three course meal. $25 bucks and you limp away stuffed. There was five choices for Entrees and Starters, and I vaguely remember about five desserts.

Mine was Duck Liver for starter with an excellent UniBroue La Fin Du Monde. Then it was a Grenache wine (24 bucks a bottle!) with my entree, a Pork Tenderloin. The knife they brought me was totally unnecessary, as were teeth. Very moist and tender... dessert was the Pear Tart with vanilla ice cream.

I blame my buzz on the La Fin Du Monde. 9% by volume. And the two bottles of red.

Outstanding!

Back to yesterday's tale;

Paul departed the "Wildebeest III" while we were at Hooters. He was having girlfriend trouble for having gone off with his buddies on a crazy boat trip.

Rich and I put on quite the load, having returned to familiar waters and comfort levels were rising. So we pounded down about three pitchers too many.

Rich wanted to go, so we went back to NAS Jacksonville, Mulberry Cove Marina. Rich left me alone to sort the boat out after our epic voyage.

One thing I knew, was that there was at least two 100 gallon water tanks, but I had no idea of how they were plumbed. I turned the faucets and nothing came out. So I came up with the idea that one of the tanks must be in the "on" position and it is empty.

Solution? Add water to both tanks so I can have a nice shower in the morning. We can figure out the valve situation in the bright of day, especially after a good night's rest with its concurrent sobriety.

I found a hose and opened the deck fitting and filled water until it runneth over. Then I "rinsed and repeated" with the next fitting.

Feeling a bit shagged, I stumbled down below and snoozed.

The next morning was a glorious one, with the famous Floridian sun cleaning all the cobwebs out of eyes and spirits. A friend from a nearby boat asked me who's boat are you on? I was able to proudly say that it was my own, thank you.

I tried to take a shower, but the darn pump was still making strangling noises.

Hmmph. So I went ashore to take care of business.

Later that day, I decided to run the motor to keep the batteries topped. The motor ran for a few minutes but died.

After running for 40 hours straight. Are we out of fuel?

Looked at the RACOR filter. Nope, glass is full with crystal clear fuel.

Try the engine again. Runs for thirty seconds, then expires.

Fuel sample. Looks clear.

Clear.... isn't diesel supposed to be another color, like red?

I FILLED THE FARGIN DIESEL TANK WITH FARGIN WATER!!!!!!!!!!!

This is what happens when you try to be a wise ass and do too much with too little sense. With all of the added alcohol, I thought I was being sensible.

Not.

I used to wear contact lenses, and after about eighteen hours in they would start to become opaque and uncomfortable. I couldn't make out the little "diesel only" engraving on the deck fitting.

I had to hand pump fifty gallons of water out of the fuel tank and reprime the engine. I worked for eight hours doing this.

Without beer.

Next day I brought the boat ot Ortega river and had her hauled out for shipping. I paid a Shipping Agent $12700. to wrap the boat up, place it on a Auto Hauling ship from the Wallenius Lines for further transport to Southampton, UK, one month hence.

I left our boat in good hands at the boatyard, and made my way to Orlando for the flight back to London.

All this running around (Alone!) made me very discombobulated. So much so that I ran out of gas in my rental car a quarter mile away from a gas station. So I had to walk to NAS Jax, go on base and buy a gas can, walk over to the gas station for a gallon of regular, walk back off base to my car.

My flight was in four hours and it is a three and a half hour drive from Jacksonville to Orlando International.

I made it.

To be continued...