Sooooo, Thankfull

YEAH! Good news!
 I woke up yesterday morning at around four, made coffee, turned on the computer, and read the blog for a bit. Judy had mentioned that she was praying for God to guide me in making the right decision. While sitting at the computer thinking about that terrible noise the engine was making, that to me, just didn't sound like a rod (too high pitched & intermittent). I made the decision to go with my gut feeling and get a professional second opinion. No matter the cost. I went into the v-berth, woke Judy up and said "I have made my decision". We will not run the engine, nor take the boat to the anchorage. If they insist we move the boat before we can get a second mechanics opinion, we will rent a slip at the marina next door no matter how much they charge until we can get one down. I will call the place that rebuilds injectors and ask them to recommend a knowledgeable mechanic. Judy joined me a few minutes later in the salon and we started our research on the issue. Previously that morning I was reading everything I could find on engine knocks. The fuel system kept coming up, but not with enough specifics on sounds.
I called the fuel injection place at six thirty to leave a message for them to call me. To my surprise Tom (the owner) picked up. I explained the situation to him. He said that I needed a mechanic that not only new the fuel systems, but knew Perkins engines inside out. He had me hold on while he located someone for me. When he returned he gave me the number for a place that was a previous Perkins dealer and would have a qualified mechanic. Thanking him, I hung up and called them, leaving a message. It was a long apprehensive hour plus waiting for eight o'clock. After a bit I decided not to wait for their call, but to call them at eight sharp, as sometimes businesses are slow answering their messages. To my surprise the phone rang at five before eight. The gentleman said that he had a mechanic, but he was committed to eight hours that day. He asked where the boat was and I informed him it was at the Police dock, but I had to move it by eleven am. He told me that his mechanic was working on a boat there that day and that he would let him check out my engine noise first, but I would have to pay a two hour minimum of $ 220.00. I agreed!

He said the mechanic would be there in about twenty minutes. Twenty minutes later the mechanic was walking up to the boat, amazing. Everything seemed to be going our way for a change. The mechanic was a very nice Vietnamese gentleman who certainly knew his business. He questioned me concerning the engines history before looking at it. He then had me start it at idle and after about five minutes slowly increase the rpm's until the knock began. After the engine was shut down, I asked if he thought it was a rod. He said; "definitely not, it is fuel related." I can not explain the load that was lifted from my shoulders at that moment, nor the elation I felt, after the previous days of depression, over the possibility of having to replace the engine. We just couldn't afford it. The mechanic had me restart the engine and increase the throttle until the knock revealed itself. With the engine knocking slightly, he loosened each high pressure injector lines individually, listening for the knock to decrease. He then had me shut it down and said the number three injector was  stuck open and would have to be replaced. I told him that I had new injectors and asked if he had time to do it, as his boss was charging me a two hour minimum anyway. He had only been there about twenty minutes. He called his boss, who acquiesced and then installed the rebuilt injector. When started, the engine sounded better than it ever has, it purrs like a kitten! Later when I called his boss to see what the final bill was, I couldn't believe that it was only $232.00. I had him order the gaskets needed to remove the engine heat exchanger tank. This is so I can get to the injector pump and replace the seals that might be causing the fuel in oil problem. That is if replacing the bad injector didn't remedy the situation already. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Who knows, the way things have started going our way, there is that possibility. Maybe Judy should do some more praying. She seems to have a great connection with a higher power.

Today I will take the bad injector into the shop to be rebuilt. Pick up the gaskets. Fix a water leak on the engine. Make up and whip the ends of control lines for the whisker pole, in preparation for a wing on wing sail down Baja. Lubricate the Capstan that refused to give up any chain rode last night when I tried to anchor. That was a minor fiasco we will not discuss. When we finally got anchored we looked up and another boat had come in and anchored right above us. Too close for comfort, so we moved. Our boat seems to draw other boats to us when at anchor. A few weeks back a boat anchored above us and when the wind shifted he was only about thirty feet off our bow. Too close!

Well folks, all seems well in our world today. I want to thank all of you for your support and suggestions. I especially want to thank a long time brother (Bob Panell) who came through for us in our time of need. I know your sacrifice, brother, and want you to know it was/is greatly appreciated. God be with you all, as he has been with us! Mexico next week. Cheers!

Judy started a blog last night, so here's her take!  Err, will be when she arises from her slumber.

Finally some REALLY good, simply MIRACULOUS news…….After the bad news from ONE boat mechanic that we had a bad rod and would have to rebuild the engine ($4,500 + labor and parts to install the new one…..) Jay woke up early this morning and after much thinking and prayer decided to get a second opinion from another mechanic…..I told him I thought that was our answer from God about what step to take next and After searching on the internet.......well you can see what we did above in Jay's blog posting above.....anyway, I've been reading a great book entitled "The Pressure's Off" by an author who found "The Way" that the holy scriptures say leads us to a PERSONAL relationship with our creator (Elohim, YHWH, Emmanuel....e.g.) The book goes on to explain that the OLD WAY of following laws, rules etc. had been proven to be impossible for human beings to "get it right" in life without "missing the mark."   It all lies in this one thing I need to do to find "the NEW Way:" Make Knowing God my No. ! priority! Knowing God.....NOT seeking blessings or an easy life or material wealth or health or great relationships with family and friends, a great job........whatever.......as St. Augustine so apply put in this quote I read when I was 19 years old and never forgot:

"You have made us for yourself, oh God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You!"

It's kind of like (I think) how I used to explain the love I have for my daughters to each of them: "Mommy has a special place in her heart JUST for YOU (Alana, Darcie, Annie and Moriah) that only you can fill for me and no other child can....just YOU! So you must never think that Mommy loves any of your sisters more than I love you, because it is totally impossible! When I am holding onto that Alana, Darcie, Annie or Moriah... shaped place in my heart where I see and feel ONLY you! and my heart would be totally lacking, and incomplete without my love for EACH of my daughters and that is how I can honestly say I have no 'favorite child'-----as ALL of my children are my "favorites," in their own perfect way." There are no TEN COMMANDMENTS or any rules or "Laws" that any of my children must follow to somehow "earn" my love....it's already in my heart, waiting for them every single time they seek me......and it will never go away! My love for each of them is totally and completely unconditional...they don't have to be "good" or "perfect" or complete any race or task or special endeavor or feat of amazement with their lives or with me....each of them has my love, adoration and devotion completely unconditionally forever.......or as long as I live.....which I believe will be forever...since I now have asked the Creator, or as my Dad, Joe Kinworthy, used to call Him: "The Great Indian Chief in the sky" to show me "The Way".....e.g. "His Way," not MY way to live my life, but His Way....because I believe the Great Indian Chief in the Sky has a Judy Kinworthy shaped place in His heart where he loves ME and keeps ME safe, unconditionally, cause he loves each of us just like I love my daughters......forever and ever, without question and there is nothing I can do to earn it except like my kids used to do when they came running in the house after school calling out: "Mommy, I'm Home!" THAT's what God wants us to do, I believe......run home to Him happily calling out "Dad, I'm HOME!" and then he comes running to us happy to see us and hear all about our day in "school."   

As I look back at my post I see that the first letters of my 4 daughters spell the name "Adam" which of course we all know the story, was the first human created......somehow I think I didn't name my girls in any haphazzard way, but gave them the name they were each meant to have.....and like "Adam," the first human, I only need to run home and slam the door shut to the rest of the world and call out "Daddy, I'm Home!" just like the Prodigal Son story written in that old, old Book! Daddy, I'm home!!!!!