Ocean View Marina
Samal Island, Davao
Mindanao, Philippines
Here we go again with an update of the weeks progress, at least it was forward progress. For those of you who notice small things this update is by sailmail as tonight's internet is terrible. Hopefully I will then be able to add the photos.
First the mast, boom and assorted parts are finished. We now wait for the paint, Allgrip, to fully cure before putting things back together. Ickway, the painter, said three weeks would be best. No complaints here, there is plenty to do in the mean time.
The week began with another trip to Davao for me while Kathy stays on the boat to supervise the work. My first stop was "Johnny Air" to inquire about getting things here faster than in the Balikbayan box that comes via sea. $6.50 US per pound and that takes care of customs. Items arrive here in approximately 2 weeks. We placed an order today of an odd sized item that would not fit in a box, time will tell. Next stop was a health foods store as after internet research I decided to start on a supplement program for the arthritic knee. I also needed to mail some papers to the US coast Guard as it seems our documentation had expired. Alfredo made good progress on the removal of the brow rail and there ere lots of text messages between Kathy and I regarding what was being done. I also bought assorted fasteners for re-installing the mast hardware.
Tuesday, I love making trips to Davao!! Today it was for the fasteners that Alfredo and Gilbert would need to re-install the brow rail.
Progress is fast so I just need to keep up with what the carpenters need. It would be a lot easier if a trip for fasteners did not take most of the day but we are moving forward.
Wednesday we decided to also look at removing the cabin top hand rails, perhaps a can of worms but as we are so involved with fixing leaks we may as well take care of any potential problems. We, the carpenters and I, managed to remove the hand rails though they were fastened a bit different than I had assumed. There is that word, ass of you and me. We managed to figure it out and what was needed to do the re-install. Another trip to Davao for more and different fasteners.
Did I say how much I enjoy the trip to Davao. Back again I went on Thursday, at least I know where to go. Kathy supervising and the Boy's
make good progress.
Friday, I get to stay at home and continue with my work on the seacocks. Just another little problems has reared it's head. the refer box is not as cold as it should be!1 It appears to be low on gas and I cannot find a leak. We're out of gas so that means another Davao trip!!!.Hey at least I can buy refrigeration stuff here, in the US I would have to be a certified technician.
Saturday, the carpenters are busy, Kathy is supervising and I am making an afternoon trip to Davao to get refrigeration gas. It's been a busy week but we continue to move forward.
Today, I gassed systems and as I write the plates are getting cold, if only I could find the problem leak. At least all is moving forward which is what we need to meet our goal of leaving the Philippines in March 2016.
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Sunday, November 15, 2015
Sunday, November 8, 2015
SOMETHING NEW FOR THE LIST
Ocean View Marina
Samal Island, Davao
Mindanao, Philippines
Another week and more progress, even though we have added what could turn in to a major bit of work. During the last days we have noticed some new leakage, water drips along some of the interior areas of the cabin, especially in the galley area. We have had some in the past and believed that they were fixed. It now does not seem so and our best belief is the leaks are coming from the brow rail fastened around the outside of the cabin.
There are screws behind each of those plugs visible in the rail and they all go thru the fiberglass. The seam along the top holds water and then the water finds it's way in. Tomorrow Gilbert, the carpenter, starts on removing plugs along with the rail itself and it can then hopefully have the screw holes filled with epoxy and be re-fastened. More on that next week depending on how big a can of worms are opened in the removal.
Monday the first job was adding a bit of gas to one of the refrigeration systems as things were not being kept cold enough. Ta-Ta continued on filling holes in the mast with threaded aluminum rod.
Kathy was busy on the computer ordering things to be sent from the states in our next Balikbayan box. I added another layer of fiberglass material over the removed thru hulls.
Tuesday, I'm off to the city to once again talk to the doctor about my sore knee. First it was meeting with Ta-Ta and Ickway the painter regarding primer for the bare aluminum and what was the painting schedule. I had purchased a gallon of the primer and Ickway thought that was just enough so I decided to get another half gallon while I was in town just to make sure. A trip to town takes a minimum of four hours. Next it was off to the hospital and visit the doctor in the clinic. My knee was better since the steroid injection but still not right. Next according to the doctor was to schedule an MRI to see if there was other damage besides the arthritis. MRI scheduled for tomorrow and then results on Thursday morning so my next days will be going in to the city.
Wednesday the painters are sanding, filling and applying primer. I go to the city for my MRI. As we are on an island across from the city we first travel in a van from the marina to the ferry dock then across the bay to the main island of Mindanao and then taxi or local jeepney to your desired location
My taxi to the hospital is about $ 4 US, a jeepney would be about $.50. I used to take jeepney's till my knee problems, lately it's been taxi's. The jeepneys are not designed for large size folks. The MRI was completed and tomorrow I get to make the trip again to get the results. Cost of MRI 11,000 FP or about $ 270 US.
Thursday it was back to the city and hospital for the MRI results. Meanwhile the work on painting the mast and boom continued
My MRI results show no other tissue damage just the arthritic condition. For now something to live with as I did for years with my hips before their replacement surgeries.
Friday and Saturday I was back to work on the seacocks. Dismantling, cleaning, lubing and re-installing
Kathy's week was taking care of my feeding, laundry, supervising the workers and a shopping trip.
Here are some views of the Chinatown area of Davao
Samal Island, Davao
Mindanao, Philippines
Another week and more progress, even though we have added what could turn in to a major bit of work. During the last days we have noticed some new leakage, water drips along some of the interior areas of the cabin, especially in the galley area. We have had some in the past and believed that they were fixed. It now does not seem so and our best belief is the leaks are coming from the brow rail fastened around the outside of the cabin.
 |
| BROW RAIL AND LOTS OF FASTENERS |
Monday the first job was adding a bit of gas to one of the refrigeration systems as things were not being kept cold enough. Ta-Ta continued on filling holes in the mast with threaded aluminum rod.
Kathy was busy on the computer ordering things to be sent from the states in our next Balikbayan box. I added another layer of fiberglass material over the removed thru hulls.
Tuesday, I'm off to the city to once again talk to the doctor about my sore knee. First it was meeting with Ta-Ta and Ickway the painter regarding primer for the bare aluminum and what was the painting schedule. I had purchased a gallon of the primer and Ickway thought that was just enough so I decided to get another half gallon while I was in town just to make sure. A trip to town takes a minimum of four hours. Next it was off to the hospital and visit the doctor in the clinic. My knee was better since the steroid injection but still not right. Next according to the doctor was to schedule an MRI to see if there was other damage besides the arthritis. MRI scheduled for tomorrow and then results on Thursday morning so my next days will be going in to the city.
Wednesday the painters are sanding, filling and applying primer. I go to the city for my MRI. As we are on an island across from the city we first travel in a van from the marina to the ferry dock then across the bay to the main island of Mindanao and then taxi or local jeepney to your desired location
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| FERRY HEADING THE OTHER WAY |
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| DIVERSE VEHICLES |
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| OUR LANDING SPOT |
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| OUR LANDING SPOT |
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| READY TO DEPART |
My taxi to the hospital is about $ 4 US, a jeepney would be about $.50. I used to take jeepney's till my knee problems, lately it's been taxi's. The jeepneys are not designed for large size folks. The MRI was completed and tomorrow I get to make the trip again to get the results. Cost of MRI 11,000 FP or about $ 270 US.
Thursday it was back to the city and hospital for the MRI results. Meanwhile the work on painting the mast and boom continued
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| SANDING AND FILLING |
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| YO-YO SANDS AND ICKWAY SPRAYING PRIMER |
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| THEY HAVE A SHADY WORK AREA |
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| FIRST COAT OF WHITE PRIMER |
Friday and Saturday I was back to work on the seacocks. Dismantling, cleaning, lubing and re-installing
Kathy's week was taking care of my feeding, laundry, supervising the workers and a shopping trip.
Here are some views of the Chinatown area of Davao
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| JEEPNEY AND SOON TO BE RIDERS |
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| BUSY STREET |
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| LOCAL TYPE HARDWARE STORE |
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| EATERY |
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| SHOP AFTER SHOP WITH THE SAME MERCHANDISE |
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| THEY REPAIR HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS |
Monday, November 2, 2015
A DAY LATE
Ocean View Marina
Samal Island, Davao
Mindanao, Philippines
A day late for those of you who may check on a regular basis, actually two now as the internet was so bad last night I was unable to finish this edition. No excuses, I just looked at the clock last night and decided to keep reading my book instead of turning on the computer and writing.
Monday it was off to the big city of Davao. I intended to visit a doctor at the hospital and then the machine shop to have the new mast head sheaves fabricated. First though was a visit to the friendly ATM machine. TRANSACTION DENIED!! OK we have now been in the Philippines for 3 years and the bank has been notified numerous times that we are here but lately the fraud department seems to like to put a hold when we try to withdraw funds. It involves a call to the bank to have the hold removed which also costs us money as from here there are no free 800 numbers. With limited funds in my pocket I decided the machine shop was more important so that was my destination. The new sheaves were ordered at about a third of the cost that I could have gotten them from the US not including shipping and would be ready Friday. I spent the evening once again talking to the bank and hopefully tomorrow the ATM will spit out peso's.
To visit a doctor here it seems you must go to the clinic first. they do not seem to take office appointments. Tuesday it was off to Davao Doctors Hospital to see an orthopedist. After a discussion, x-rays, more discussion about what seems to be an arthritic condition the decision was first fluid draining and a steroid injection. All done, 4,000 peso's or less than $100 US. Now we wait to see how the knee feels in the next few days.
Wednesday, the knee is better and I now have Ta-Ta working on plugging the holes in the mast. Since our last Balikbayan box we now have material and Kathy is sewing again, now it is finishing the covers for the windows in the enclosure.
My next project is the removal and plugging of 3 unused thru hulls and their seacocks. They have been unnecessary since we removed the deck drains 14 years ago. Hey there's no reason to hurry.
The old holes now have one layer of glass on the inside and two on the outside. A bit more sanding and I'll move on to the next project, which is pulling the seacocks apart for servicing.
Samal Island, Davao
Mindanao, Philippines
A day late for those of you who may check on a regular basis, actually two now as the internet was so bad last night I was unable to finish this edition. No excuses, I just looked at the clock last night and decided to keep reading my book instead of turning on the computer and writing.
Monday it was off to the big city of Davao. I intended to visit a doctor at the hospital and then the machine shop to have the new mast head sheaves fabricated. First though was a visit to the friendly ATM machine. TRANSACTION DENIED!! OK we have now been in the Philippines for 3 years and the bank has been notified numerous times that we are here but lately the fraud department seems to like to put a hold when we try to withdraw funds. It involves a call to the bank to have the hold removed which also costs us money as from here there are no free 800 numbers. With limited funds in my pocket I decided the machine shop was more important so that was my destination. The new sheaves were ordered at about a third of the cost that I could have gotten them from the US not including shipping and would be ready Friday. I spent the evening once again talking to the bank and hopefully tomorrow the ATM will spit out peso's.
To visit a doctor here it seems you must go to the clinic first. they do not seem to take office appointments. Tuesday it was off to Davao Doctors Hospital to see an orthopedist. After a discussion, x-rays, more discussion about what seems to be an arthritic condition the decision was first fluid draining and a steroid injection. All done, 4,000 peso's or less than $100 US. Now we wait to see how the knee feels in the next few days.
Wednesday, the knee is better and I now have Ta-Ta working on plugging the holes in the mast. Since our last Balikbayan box we now have material and Kathy is sewing again, now it is finishing the covers for the windows in the enclosure.
My next project is the removal and plugging of 3 unused thru hulls and their seacocks. They have been unnecessary since we removed the deck drains 14 years ago. Hey there's no reason to hurry.
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| OLD MUSHROOM FITTING |
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| OLD SEACOCK |
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| PLUGGED HOLE WITH A FIRST LAYER OF GLASS |
The old holes now have one layer of glass on the inside and two on the outside. A bit more sanding and I'll move on to the next project, which is pulling the seacocks apart for servicing.
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