Heading for Oceanside

We left Avalon Bay heading for Oceanside last Sunday and again experienced problems, but made it okay. Does it ever end? I am beginning to think not. When I made my third routine engine check it was discovered that the sediment bowl on the primary Racor 500 fuel filter was almost completely filled with water. Upon this harrowing discovery I immediately switched to the secondary filter/water separator as the engine started to gain RPMs. Whew! That was close. When the water was drained and the filter checked, it was apparent that this situation required my immediate attention. As it turned out the problem was the misuse of 4200 by yours truly. Yep, I screwed up. Being a novice in its use, I had failed to allow it to set up prior to tightening up the new inspection plates on the fuel tank that I had previously fabricated. The tank being in the keel under the bilge made them vulnerable to water intrusion. Since the repair on the wet muffler was leaking a bit into the bilge and the newly ordered wet muffler was waiting in San Diego a permanent repair would have to wait. I decided the simplest solution would be to keep the bilge dry, but how? Ah, ha! The shop-vac . So it was that you could have seen me with my head down in the bilge, hose in hand, sucking out every little drop of water that so stubbornly insisted on keeping me occupied.


Upon arriving in Oceanside I stopped most of the water intrusion, but will have to wait until we reach San Diego to make permanent repairs, as the prices here are outrageous! The Marina is definitely” NOT” user-friendly. They charge a dollar a foot, accept cash or check only (no traveler’s checks), have only three washers and driers, and have an eleven o’clock check out time. I can’t believe a business that refuses to make change. Yep that’s right; you have to have the exact amount of cash. We walked for hours trying to get traveler’s checks cashed so as to be able to meet their ridiculous requirements. Believe, we will never return to Oceanside harbor. NUFF SAID!