On Ice

The thing about plans is they test one's commitment. They also allow one to organize stuff.  Get ducks in row and quacking on cue or in a queue. Anyway, in project planning parlance, this year's sailing trip has experienced some slippage. In fact the boat has spent way too much time in the slippage.  Between land travel, physical therapy and various house projects, Ohana has been growing a green beard at the water line.

Most recently, icing on this slow baked cake came last evening when the final load of produce went into the luke cool refrigerator. Actually, the lack of ice in the freezing compartment had me quickly searching for answers as well as a bottle of something better aged than I was rapidly becoming. I brushed off the desire to drown my worries and went to work on the Frigoboat or frigging boat refrigerator. These Frigoboat units are fairly robust but are susceptible to moisture build-up (frost) and the potential to suck up a few molecules of water which can then find their way into the capillary tubing, freeze and block circulation. My Frigoboat had evidently had an embolism and was experiencing a frigging stroke. I cleared the compartment, heated a pint of water, muttered, "Clear!" and applied the warm wet cloth to the copper tubing.  Within a minute, I could hear the coolant circulating again with its high pitching gentle whine.  The patient would live, at least until the next event. This morning the Frigiboat was happily pumping along and so the decision was made. Today I will cast off the dock lines, at last…but also begin arranging for Frigoboat surgery upon return from what will likely be a shortened version of the original summer's sailing plan - weeks not months.

Now both boat and skipper are clean shaven and ready to chill asea.