Goons!

What a goon.  That is what I tell my grandkids when they do something silly.  Well, that appellation now belongs to me.  After a lovely stay at Harbour Island it was time to return to Spanish Wells to collect my water pump (another goon story).  Captain Kirt was scheduled to join us Sunday at 10:00 am sharp, so I started the engines at 9:30 and began the process of getting the boat ready to depart (about a ½ hour process).  Captain Kirt is a punctual man, and arrived on time, just as the starboard engine died.  I quickly went into diagnostic mode and determined it was fuel starved.  Diesel engines can have no air in the fuel system in order to run, and my vacuum gauge showed I had a big blockage somewhere, so I began the “bleeding” process to rid the system of air.  After some time I realized I was not getting fuel to the engine.  Panic began to creep in, as I thought the likely culprit was a bad fuel pump.  It was Sunday, mother’s day, and mechanics were hard to find, but with the right application of cash the marina found one for me.  As Captain Kirt patiently waited, the mechanic showed up and took a look.  Hey mon, is your fuel valve open he asked.  Before answering that question a few facts about Serenity.  She has six fuel tanks.  The two saddle tanks are the only ones from which the engines can draw fuel.  I have to transfer fuel from the other four tanks in order to use it via a manifold system, which I had done after arriving at Harbour Island.  Well you see where this is headed.  I paid $250 for the mechanic to tell me the fuel valve to the starboard engine was closed, and I had starved the engine of fuel, thereby filling it with air.  What a goon.  Evidently in transferring fuel I inadvertently closed the wrong valve….  We properly bled the entire fuel system, a real PIA, and were underway.  The good news it that Captain Kirt brought homemade banana bread, which was great.  We arrived at Spanish Wells without further incident, and went to dinner for mother’s day.  As my brother says, nobody will ever love you like your mother, so please remember your mothers on that special day!  I can only imagine what Bon Bon would say…..

As to the other goon story.  DHL is the preferred shipping company here, so my pump is in their hands.  Following it online I saw it left Tampa, went to Miami then to Nassau and it cleared customs.  I am in business I thought.  Then instead of heading to Spanish Wells, it went back to Miami where it is with US customs, who are probably wondering what to do with it.   Naturally DHL says I have to talk to the Bahamas office, which is closed for the weekend….  I am surrounded by goons!

Serenity's fuel manifold.  Can you spot the offending valve?