Left behind...

By 0730 the dock ahead of us was empty. All of the boats that were here over the weekend headed toward Cape May. Deb and I helped one after the other spring into the current, pull in the line, and motor gently off into what should be a near perfect day of cruising. As they left, I was mulling over the thought that I will be surprised if we are out of here anytime in the next two weeks. A realization that, for a couple of minutes, was pretty depressing. But then I remembered the year we spent with me working at Snead Island to try and fill the cruising kitty to keep going on Kintala. It was one of the toughest years of my life, probably shaved a few years off of my life and, in the end, we had to go back to land anyway as most of the money earned was swallowed up by the boat.

And yet that was also the year that Daughter Eldest and her family took to living on a boat along side of ours. The year we welcomed another grand daughter into the fold. The year two of my grandsons and I took regular “wizard walks”, exploring the shoreline and parks around the boatyard. The "wizard stick" they found for me to use as a walking stick, the one we carved, sanded, then finished with the varnish left over from doing the teak work on Kintala, is on First Light with us. 

It was a year I would never want to repeat, but one that I would not have wanted to miss. Compared to that? Being tied to this dock for this long really isn't much of a challenge. I am not punching a clock while working in the brutal heat of a Florida summer. Much as we enjoyed our time on Kintala, living on First Light is like living in a mansion in comparison.

I am also reminded of this truism. Living on a boat means giving up the relatively structured life that living on land usually becomes. Mostly isolated from the weather with basically set schedules for working, vacations, playing, shopping, doctor and dentist visits, doing the laundry and mowing the grass. Big changes that require rethinking the next few days are rare on land. On the water? Dock falls for laundry, food, water, pump out and shopping are moving targets, with weather and stores on board being the major determining factor. Mechanical breakdowns are common. Every cruiser has their tale of woe because a) moving water, particularly moving salt water, is the worst environment one can imagine for mechanical devices of any kind and, b) the boating industry's dedication to quality control insofar as manufacturing, post sales support, parts availability and work scheduling is nigh onto non-existent. It is also outrageously expensive. Stick the label "marine" on anything and the price goes up with no relationship as to the quality of the thing being offered.

New boats are no better than old boats. In the time we have been here I have talked with two owners of brand new boats who are struggling to get warranty items repaired. They are limping along as best they can, one with engine control problems and the other with navigation glitches. 

Fortunately there are exceptions, and there is hope on the horizon. We are currently tied to the dock of one of one of those exceptions. The folks here at Delaware City Marina are doing their best to help us get moving again. Imagining what we would be putting up with had this string of mechanical issues happened in some of the marinas and boat yards we have experienced over the years? That is the stuff of nightmares. 

Another exception has been British Diesel in England. Deb, working her parts magic with these folks, found us a brand new, correct part number pump across the water in England that comes with an installation kit. The price is both a bit startling but, at the same time, about what we expected. They are telling us it will be here in a few days, which is some serious magic of its own. Magic due to a hefty shipping bill. This has all happened in the last couple of hours so there is some serious assumptions going on that all of this will unfold without a hitch. If it does, there are mechanics working here that are qualified to install the thing.  

Still, I'll make no bets on when we will be on our way. In fact I'll make no bets that “being on our way” is, in any way, a sure thing. Last year's experiences cured me of that common human hubris. With Deb's parts magic, and the folks here, we are working on a good plan.  But each day will unfold as it will. We are meeting new people, seeing places we have never seen before, listening to the water and the wildlife. We are going up and down with the tide... physically  and figuratively. It is a good, if somewhat chaotic, way of life. We are doing the best we can with what is offered.

Ed Note: This email came from British Diesel within minutes of placing our order:

Hi Deb,

Thanks for your business. The pump we are supplying should arrive in 2-3 days according to DHL'S estimate. You will have to keep an eye out for an email. The tracking details will be provided in the next email.

For your information, we checked on the Cummins Database, they do not have new units available but they can supply a repaired injection pump for a whopping $8841 dollars plus $640.00 plus $75 shipping cost (14 days delivery time).  

So by dealing with us you have saved nearly $6750.00 plus the injection will arrive 12 days earlier than what Cummins are quoting, also the pump we are supplying is brand new and genuine. (I hope you guys buy yourselves something nice).

Best regards,

Sam