Winter weather permeates the Pacific Northwest. February has been a chilly month, with overnight temperatures routinely dipping into the 20F-30F range. Though I’ve remained toasty warm below deck thanks to our old-model Dickinson Antarctic diesel heater, I’ve awoke numerous mornings to find a thin layer of ice on the water’s surface. Not sea-ice by any means, rather a layer of frozen freshwater condensate.
Janine (who seems eternally cold, even in the warmest climates) has been abroad for much of this frigidness. She is visiting her family in Croatia for three weeks and enjoying temperatures in the 60F’s. The entire crew misses her, and anxiously awaits her return home next Friday. Life aboard isn’t the same without her here, but I am glad to know she is safe and amongst her family. Plus her photo dispatches are spectacular! We’ll call her trip reconnaissance for our eventual arrival in the Adriatic.
Thankfully, the emptiness aboard Rua Hatu was briefly interrupted last week by a visit from my father! Freshly retired from a fruitful career in public service, and the proud owner of a sparkling new red Subaru (Ruby), he decided to make the long journey up from California to visit for an extended weekend. He is the first of our family to visit SV Rua Hatu since we moved aboard nearly a year ago, and he offered his help on numerous projects I’ve been working away on. First and foremost, we repaired the “glass” window on the aforementioned Dickinson heater.
I say “glass” though the material on our old stove is actually a thin layer of mica that conforms to the front of the cylinder. This is the second time I’ve replaced the mica, as even the smallest scratch in the material rapidly spreads due to thermal expansion/contraction leading to improper fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber. Newer models of the Antarctic heater have ditched this flimsy film for a much sturdier flange that holds a flat glass door. This time around, we were extremely careful to avoid introducing any scores to the surface of the replacement mica. To (hopefully) prolong the life of this piece, we installed the old lightly cracked layer on top in hopes of adding some strength to the window as a whole.
With the new window in place, the flame no longer sputters low in the firebox. I have noticed some soot build up following the repair, and I suspect there may still be fuel flow problems associated with the filter element, which has long been on my list of item to replace.
When we weren’t tinkering on board, eating or working (me), we managed to get out for some of the clearest skies we’ve had this month. Kiwi certainly enjoyed several hikes with us on the beach and to the nearby cape overlook. All in all, I was thrilled to catch up with my dad, show him around our new home and generally break the silence (with banjo music) on board while Janine is away. He’s quite a renaissance man, what with 40 years of Hot Air Ballooning experience, banjo skills that would put most hillbillies to shame, a new found love for flying PPGs, and no sign of slowing down as he heads into retirement. Check out some of his awesome adventures over on YouTube!
Both of my parents are absolutely incredible! Without their support and guidance, I wouldn’t be capable of carrying on this wonderful life I lead. A huge thanks and lots of love to both of them! To that end, Janine and I are looking forward to meeting up with the two of them this spring for some sailing and sight-seeing in May. More to come!