To be or not to be! I now have the answer. The vapor lock theory evaporated this AM when the diesel techie informed me the starter was indeed in need of repair ( it only has three seasons of use)! After several calls back and forth a new starter is supposed to be here tomorrow, Friday or Saturday. He did promise to install it as soon as it is delivered. Yes, they will charge us for the new one with a hefty freight charge added to the bill. I guess it's better to be here in a marina than anchored out somewhere in the SC grasses (often beautiful in their way) and not be able to start the diesel!
Hurricane Sandy is now a real threat! We will stay right here regardless of when the diesel is repaired! It is scheduled to pass this Friday and be north of us by Saturday. We have agreed that being safe here is more important than making planned connections with friends further south Thursday and Friday. We will reschedule our plans with them and hopefully see them as we sail south to the Keys!
We have continued to work on getting Fiu ready to sail. Most things to do involve cleaning of some kind. The hull has had its brown "ICW mustache" removed. The fresh water in this part of the region has lots of tannins, which are chiefly complex glucosides of catechol and pyrogallol making the water truly the color of iced tea on the strong side! We will be reviewing our charts and refreshing our memories about anchorages during the next three days.
We have been in contact with some of our boat buddies from previous trips and they are further south than we are. We are hoping they can find adequate shelter from the off-shore effects of Hurricane Sandy over the next few days. Higher tides, high winds (above 20kts) and probably lots of rain will all come together to make life on a boat just a little uncomfortable for a couple of days!
I think, all things considered, we are probably fortunate to have to wait for the new starter since Hurricane Sandy has the potential to reek havoc. We are thinking of our families and friends and want you all to know we are safe here. Osprey Marina is the absolute best marina for friendliness and helpfulness. Everyone here will go out of their way to make sure we are comfortable and have our needs met!
Dinner awaits!
Captain Sid
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