Time redefined

Day: 7 AC

Time is now officially delineated by, "Before Canal" and "After Canal". The canal in question was the Delaware Chesapeake Canal. Everything BC was mostly a chore and not necessarily relaxing as we had to get somewhere and avoid bad wind/weather. AC is mostly about taking our time, relaxing and taking advantage of the moment. And there seems to be lots of moments!

Beth caught this picture of Annapolis before we drove to New Jersey

A Moment to remember

We kept extending our stay in Annapolis because it really is a relaxing place (for a sailor) and more importantly, the America's Cup turned into such a nail-biter. I'm sure 90% of you reading this know what I'm talking about, so I won't go into details. It really was a momentous occasion to be in the Boatyard Bar in Annapolis for the ultimate race. To be surrounded by avid sailors who all know the nuances of what they're watching and hear the gasps and groans as the lead changes - now I know what it is like be an avid sports follower. Since sailing is really the only sport that I follow, it ensures that I spend most of my time cheering by myself as there aren't that many fellow sailors in the general population. Annapolis is different. Definitely a moment I'll always remember.

Another sailboat?

We are officially insane. We bought another sailboat to carry around on our sailboat. We really wanted a simple little sailboat that would be easy to teach Jeanette how to sail and that would be fun to get out and sail when we're parked somewhere for a couple days. After some research we found a used Laser Pico sailboat in New Jersey - just 4 hours away. We rented a pickup and we all piled in for the trip. We now have the little boat, which Jeanette promptly named Sea Dreamer, parked on our forward trampoline. I can see this being lots of fun when we're in warmer waters. Bottled moments, waiting for us to release them.

Our latest sailboat!

St. Michael's

Since we don't have to rush, we stayed in Annapolis longer than we expected, but today was the day to move on and we chose St. Michael's on the Eastern Shore (about 4-5 hours away). We found a beautiful little anchorage just next to the main town. We're about 100' off this well manicured resort that looks very "posh". Rooms cost $500/night - so a little out of our budget. Not sure what they think of us dropping in on them and firing up our BBQ and wafting sizzling steak smells their way. I doubt they appreciated my whining drill as I worked on installing a USB power outlet at our helm station...

St. Michaels: Our next house, it comes with a sailboat too!

St. Michael's anchorage at twilight

Tomorrow we'll investigate what all the fuss is about St. Michaels. Many people have told us to come here, so we'll dinghy in and catch the farmer's market in the morning.

Day: 8 AC

St. Michael's has a great museum just on the waterfront. We enjoyed wandering around and looking at boats and learning the history of the area. Very quaint place, but also a little too touristy for me. 

View looking out from museum's lighthouse towards harbor entrance

Jeanette and Mom pose for a postcard

Dad gives Jeanette her first dinghy lesson - she later drove us to dinner!

Maryland Blue Crab and Shrimp! Kind of messy... 

 Sunday we leave St. Michael's for Solomon Island - about 1/3rd the way down the Chesapeake.

Living the dream!

Happiness in Baltimore

Living the dream #1

Why "#1"? Because I fully expect a "#2" and more in our future. This week has been the first week I've actually felt like I'm on a vacation rather than working hard to launch the space shuttle. The biggest change has been the shift from a long list of fix-its to a much more enjoyable visit with friends and wandering the beautiful city of Baltimore and Annapolis. Throw in sailing with the spinnaker up for the first time this year and you'll find most sailors in their "happy place".

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Good Morning Baltimore!

With 6 hours of sailing into Baltimore, we were definitely in a good mood to start with. We had a slip in the inner harbor - which meant we had wraparound activities in all directions. We were about 100' from the Science Center and the Aquarium was just 500' across the water from us. Really amazing setup and Baltimore fully celebrates their relationship with the water. Not all places do. When we learned they had a Whole Foods within walking distance, we were ready to stay there for good. Who needs the Bahamas?

We met our friends, Michael and Lisa Rossi, and after wandering around and soaking up the Baltimore experience, we went to bed and then headed off on a crystal clear morning for Annapolis - a true sailor's mecca.

Jeanette says "Good morning, Baltimore!"

Coast Guard Eagle and USS Constellation

The spinnaker flies, all is good

"OK Lisa, if you tie your leg there, it won't fall off"

Annapolis 

Just a few hours sail from Baltimore is one of our favorite destinations. You can pick up a mooring for $35 right in the middle of town and everything is a short dinghy ride away. Everywhere you go you see tall spindly things that sailors call "masts". This means you're somewhere that recognizes the supremacy of wind over gasoline.

Annapolis mooring field at sunset

So now, we're just sitting here in the middle of Annapolis with nothing much to do other than to enjoy ourselves. We've sat around and watched several races of the America's Cup in the local sailor's hangout and even went over to the Annapolis Naval Academy (where the Navy gets officers from) to check out the campus.  4,200 midshipmen from around the USA attend the school and learn leadership along with plenty of other skills. We got a special tour from the son of a friend of Beth's who is a second-year student. There is a lot of tradition and history associated with the school and the many who have graduated from it. We soaked it up on a beautiful fall day with a crispness heralding the coming cooler days and nights. 

Lunch-time pagentry at the Naval Academy

Mr. Fixit

Of course, living the dream doesn't mean I've gotten off scott-free from the fixit list. Today was somewhat typical, as it was, "fix the outboard from dying on us" day. We used to have a very reliable outboard to propel our dinghy, but after my careful ministrations, it has become increasingly unreliable. That's what I get for trying to service it myself. So, it was time to bring in someone who knew what they were doing. Luckily, Annapolis is swarming with people who know useful stuff, and we found one right next to a public dinghy dock. This was important as we don't have a car and taxis frown on strapping a 90lb outboard on the top of their cabs. 

I had arranged that the mechanic would look at it immediately with me as we are very dependent on our outboard and dinghy. So, while the girls went off and "studied" at the Naval museum, I helped get our outboard over to the shop where they proceeded to pull it apart and tell me all the things I was doing wrong. Here is what I learned:

1. Don't overfill the oil when you change it as the engines can't burn oil, just gas (oops #1).

2. Just because you let the engine run until it stops when disconnecting the tank doesn't mean all the gas is gone from the carburetor bowl and if it evaporates, it will leave junk behind (oops #2).

3. Don't leave the gas tank vent open when you're not using it as moisture gets in (oops #3).

When gas goes bad: the one on the left is what I was using, the one on the right is what the experts use

So, with three strikes against me, no wonder I was having problems. They stripped the carburetor and replaced all the gas and then I took it for a spin out on the water. Everything seemed to work as desired!

That's gotta hurt

Of course, there is no escaping the hand of fate, at least my hand did not escape it. When I got back to the boat from my spin, I noticed it wasn't idling well, so I removed the cover while the engine was running to use my new expert knowledge to diagnose the problem. I saw that a small rubber hose wasn't connected so I reached in and, "whap!" went the evil fan blade that spun invisibly in the shadows under the cowling as it met my index finger for the first (and hopefully the last) time. Luckily it met my finger head-on and not too much blood was spilled, but the throbbing as I write this reminds me that at some point I really need to get a clue before I do something more permanent. 

Don't get the wrong idea, I'm having a great time despite the odd "thump" and while the new "potato vodka and ginger ale" drink that I had with dinner to dull the pain did do its work, it really doesn't overly color my enthusiasm for this adventure we're on. 

Tomorrow, we stay here as the America's Cup is down to the final race and the excitement is killing me! We'll go back to our favorite bar and blow our grocery money on drinks!

Our favorite bar

Medicine for damaged fingers

Almost to Baltimore, MD

Rock Creek

We're now just a couple hours sail from Baltimore in a little place called Rock Creek. One of the amazing things about the Chesapeake is just how many little places there are to visit and explore. Far too many for one if not 100 trips. We'll head over to Baltimore's inner harbor tomorrow morning to meet our friends Michael and Lisa Rossi.

Today was really the best day of our journey so far. Why? Because we actually sailed it! We started off from Chesapeake City motoring in the canal, but within an hour we had our sails up and we were soon able to turn the motor off. Of course, the wind was on our nose, but since we had time, we tacked back and forth and dodged traffic in the shipping lane. Six hours of the wind urging the boat forward while the water gurgled and roiled in our path.

Another perspective

You do see some amazing things from the water. I just want to share some pictures we've recently taken.

Can you find the lighthouse?

This was just weird. It was Atlantic City and here is the light house practically buried amongst these great big buildings. Strange sight.

Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant

With the steam from the plant masking the full moon, this was an eerie sight at night as I brought us up the Delaware Bay Wednesday night.

Chesapeake City Anchorage minus one fish

I got up in the morning (after arriving at 11PM the previous night) around 7AM and went outside to check things out. As I was looking up, I noticed a big bird coming to sweep down to the water. It looked bigger than an osprey and it had a white tail. It was a bald eagle! It grabbed a fish and was away before I could get to the camera.

Chesapeake City Anchorage the next morning

We left this cute little place on Friday morning, but not before Beth snapped these two pictures.

Two Dreams to catch?

What are the odds that another catamaran would pull into this anchorage directly in front of us and have the same name? It happened.

Atlantic City, NJ to Chesapeake City, MD

Leaving Atlantic City ~ Lonely lighthouse in foreground.

Like most sailing trips, any itinerary put together at the start of the day is subject to change depending on the weather, sea state, tides, wind, and whim.  Fluid is the name of the game.  Take yesterday morning, for instance.  We woke up to skies swept clear by the high pressure system that moved through overnight.  A calm morning with a breeze on the beam and easterly swells that promised a sweet ride down the coast to Cape May, our next planned stop.  We had passed Cape May in the night on the way up the coast two summers ago and I was determined to stop in for a visit.  Once we got underway, though, we found ourselves enjoying the day so much that we simply continued on beyond the cape and into Delaware Bay.  Why not?  The water was flat, the wind was dying, and the slack tide was about to start flooding, aiding our passage to the Chesapeake.  Sometimes it’s worth foregoing a stop to take advantage of the conditions.  For the second time, I had posted on Facebook in the morning that we were going someplace we ended up bypassing.  Did I say fluid? 

Wildwood, NJ

Delaware Bay traffic

The Red Eye

 Delaware Bay is not my favorite body of water.  The last time we traveled it, we had a stiff breeze on the nose, a wicked steep chop, and an endless parade of floating dead fish.  Fortunately, we experienced none of that this time and had an easy passage to the 14-mile long Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal.  Narrow (400’ wide), straight as a pin, and lined by orange streetlights, the Delaware Canal is a liquid highway delivering boaters to and from the bay – the Chesapeake Bay, that is.  I was not keen on the idea of a night passage, as we had initially agreed that we’d anchor behind Reedy Island, but Ken convinced me that we should press on to Chesapeake City, which we would reach before midnight.  With a full moon overhead and barely a whisper of wind, the flooding tide swept us along at 7-9 kts.   Jeanette slept, I happily tucked in down below, and Ken manned the helm and steered clear of the working traffic transiting the canal.  Being on the water at night is an altogether different boating experience.  Full moon aside, visibility just isn’t that great, and one relies heavily on radar and instruments to maintain safe passage.  Nearly 40% of the commercial shipping traffic between Philadelphia and Baltimore comes through the canal, and although I wouldn’t say it was especially busy we did pass, and were passed by, quite a few ships, barges, and tugs.  It’s more than a little intimidating to see one barreling down knowing there’s likely to be a massive wake behind it.  We saw one small sloop nearly swamped in a tug’s wake as it pitched and rolled from side to side.

Full moon rising over DE Bay.

With a gorgeous sunset to port.

1 of the D&C bridges lit up.

We did indeed reach Chesapeake City before midnight; just before 11, actually.  We shoe-horned ourselves into one of the tiniest, tightest anchorage basins I’ve ever seen, dropped the anchor with only 20’ of scope, and prayed we’d stay put.  If there is any current here, it is barely discernible and we spent a quiet night.  This morning dawned foggy and cold (48 degrees).  A bald eagle swooped out of the mist to snatch a fish off our stern.  As it flew away to feast on its catch, blueberry pancakes sizzled on the galley stove.  It’s going to be a good day.

You can take it with you!

When Ken and I decided to give living on the boat a try and began packing up the house in the middle of the busiest time of year for me, I just about thought I was going to lose my mind.  Still raw from my mother’s sudden passing, and preparing for graduation and a number of end-of-year school activities, I was in no state to realistically weed out those things I was willing to let go.  For a couple of people who lean in the direction of “minimalist,” we had accumulated a surprising amount of stuff during our 7 years in Connecticut.  My first pass at paring down was pretty ridiculous – even by my own generous standards - and Ken quickly stepped in to establish boundaries around how much we could keep.  Eventually, I convinced him that there simply wasn’t enough time for me to sort through everything and we agreed to leave some boxes in the attic to go through later.  Nonetheless, the mountain of things we sold and gave away was substantial.  Whatever they meant to us at one time, in the end, those “things” seemed more burden than asset. 

Once I got into the spirit of downsizing and made several more passes through our belongings, I began to feel the sense of freedom that comes with being unfettered.  For a gypsy like me (or nomad, as Peter calls it), it’s all about anchoring oneself to the earth with gossamer strings and being able to pack up and go at any time.   While I still occasionally have moments in the middle of the night where I wake up thinking “what have we done?!!” I know that we have taken the most important things with us:  the love of our family and friends, connections and relationships that have enriched our lives along the way, and dreams of experiences we have yet to share together.   Across the miles and over the years, we will carry those we love close to our hearts – and that is our most precious cargo. 

Trumpland

Atlantic City

We made it here before the storm hit, which is really the only thing that matters about Atlantic City. It was where we needed it to be before the big weather system moved through. Sometimes, destinations are just that - a place of refuge. 

We left Barnegat Inlet at round 7AM after briefly considering getting up (again) at 5AM for a longer run to Cape May. After yesterday's choppy ocean and 25kt headwinds, it was a relief to get out on the ocean and have just rolling 1-2' swells and only 12-15kts of wind from the SW. 

Barnegat Light

The ride down was a mixture of sailing and motoring - we have yet to enjoy a really solid day of just lovely sailing on our trip. Winds just haven't been where they were supposed to be when we ordered them up. Just need to be patient...

What's that coming our way?

We were looking at the rain radar and could see a large band with some embedded cells headed our way in a few hours. This put a limit as to how long we wanted to be on the water - so it became a race to see if we could get in to the safety of Atlantic City before getting clobbered. The way it works on the NJ coast is that there are very few places you can tuck into if bad weather brews - so you have to get the timing right.

Now, how close can I get to that buoy?

This is Atlantic City?

The mainsail came rattling down as we turned into the inlet and the first drops of rain began to fall. We were safe and sound and anchored right next to the "heart" of Atlantic City. What's weird about this place is that it is like being dropped into the middle of Las Vegas with towering casinos around you - but it is dead quiet here. You've always got noise, commotion and chaos in Las Vegas; here it feels like we're visiting a movie set of Las Vegas long after shooting has ended and someone forgot to turn off the lights. Definitely a weird vibe. 

Atlantic City from the approach. Just weird to see this as you come up the coast standing all by itself.

Beth got a great shot of nature proving that it can put on a display better than Mr. Trump

Tomorrow we're expecting big winds (30kt) and big seas (4-6') so we're going to stay safe here. Supposed to be a "3D sidewalk chalk art" event with "international chalk artists" doing there thing. We'll hopefully figure out how to get the dinghy ashore and to check it out.

A trip to Hell's Gate and Beyond

Hell's Gate awaits

After sailing/motoring from Northport to Port Washington on Saturday, we woke way too early on Sunday to tackle the infamous Hell's Gate. This is a spot on the East River in NYC that has impressive current credentials. You'll see currents up to 5 knots or so, and if you're a small sail boat that only goes 5 knots, you're either going nowhere fast or somewhere faster than you've ever been before. 

We wanted to hit it slightly after the current started ebbing, so that meant we had a date with Hell's Gate for 7AM - and we were 2 hours away in Port Washington. You do the math, but it meant me waking up at a very unnatural hour. Of course it was dark (no moon) outside which meant braille-based sailing - which I really hate and isn't easy on the boat either. Some of you non-nautical types might wonder why I didn't just turn on my headlights. Well, it doesn't work that way. You can't go powering around on the water with lights blazing as there are others out there you'll blind and are then likely to run into the nearest rock. Instead, you go semi-blind, pucker up and trust in your favorite deity while you try to figure out where on earth the buoy navigation lights are against the backdrop of all the lights common in a town/city. It was a little nerve-wracking for the first hour, then dawn intruded and saved my ass.

Beth at the helm while I look for large rocks in the dark 

East River mysteries

Cruising down the East River on a brilliant (but cold) morning with the city coming alive is definitely one of those experiences that penetrates deep. Seeing a place from the water is such a different perspective. You certainly see odd things that you wouldn't expect - like an old, abandoned ferry landing on a small island in the East River. Why such a large ferry landing for an island that appears just as abandoned and where nature appears to have eliminated any trace of mankind? There must be a story there.

So, after passing Riker's Island (a prison), and a prison barge that houses guests that won't fit on the island, then the UN building and a host of skyscrapers, you come upon the financial district with the new One Tower gleaming in the sun. Lady Liberty is off in the distance peeking underneath the famed Brooklyn Bridge. It's many postcards rolled into one.

We followed the ebb through the city, slipping our way through it at 8-9 knots. We were then flushed into the harbor, which had little traffic due to it being early on Sunday. Since we were now through the city and it was only 8AM, we decided to get down the New Jersey coast as far as we could while keeping daylight for anchoring somewhere.

Did I mention it was cold out there?

NYC awaits us at dawn

Bridge of the Unknown (I don't know its name)

UN Building - or as Republicans call it, "a waste of space"

Manhattan Bridge (my favorite)

Financial center

Anybody want a Brooklyn Bridge?

Why you never trust the weatherman

Various weather and sailing information is available on-line, and I use a weather forecasting tool based on what the weatherman interprets. Anyway, this model predicted we'd have northerly winds which would be perfect for going down the coast. Indeed, we had favorable winds for at least half-way down before they uncharitably turned against us with a vengeance. With 3 hours to go, we ran into headwinds on our nose of 20-25kts. They steadily built as did the seas - until we were pitching up and down and slamming through the waves. We watched our speeds drop to 4-5kts from 7-8kts. Now, the slower we go, the longer it takes to get somewhere. Sometimes, this is an issue - like when you're trying to make sure you catch the flood tide into the small inlet that we were targeting - Barnegat. If you google Barnegat Inlet you will see pictures of sunken boats for a reason - it can be dangerous in the wrong conditions. Since we have never been to it, we don't have a good idea of the right or the wrong conditions, but we were expecting light winds - not 25kts - so now we have one more thing to worry about.

Mr. Coast Guard, do I have a problem?

I called them because I thought they might provide advice. Yes and no, due to legal reasons, they actually can't give advice! After the guy I talked to called in his superior officer, I got someone to tell me that as long as there was a flood tide, there shouldn't be any issues. The only problem was that at our rate of speed, we were going to miss the flood and have to deal with the ebb. That wouldn't work for us.

We dropped the sails (it was a dead-on anyway) and then I began to actively steer the boat at full throttle at an angle to the waves. Now, the waves were only 2', so it wasn't the size that troubled us, it was how much they could slow the boat down if we didn't minimize their impact.  By zigzagging, we kept our speeds high while minimizing the slamming of the boat - which isn't fun for the boat or the crew.

We bashed our way to the inlet and then were pushed through at 9kts as the peak of the flood hurried us into calm waters and a vacant anchorage nearby. It was now 5PM - 12 hours from casting off from Port Washington and an epic journey half-way down the NJ coast.

Tomorrow is another 12 hour day as we will try for Cape May - if the wind comes from the North like it is supposed to!

And they're off!

We left Stratford today at 9:30AM headed to Northport, NY (on Long Island). Leaving was a simple affair after all that effort to achieve it. You'd think there would be some dramatic moment to label this day as, "the one", but it was just a normal, quiet day.

Here we are, all set for our adventure. 

Last night, we had one of the more epic thunderstorms to pass through our town since we've been living here. Jagged stabs of brilliant white struck near us as the rain drummed down on the decks. We were busy mopping up the leaks where the rain worked it's way in. Someday, I swear I'll own a boat that doesn't leak...

We had the world's best neighbors over for a last going away celebration. Steve and Trish really have earned that title numerous times over. We'll definitely miss them - until we convince them to join us for a week somewhere warm and beach-like.

Not much to report on our first day as we motor-sailed it most of the way as the promised north winds failed to show up. We tucked in at our favorite stopping place - Northport on Long Island. When you think of the perfect little North East harbor and town, this is as good as it gets. We anchored out in the big bay, took a nap and then had dinner on the boat.

 Looking down towards the town of Northport, NY

Great sunset for our dinner entertainment

Tomorrow is Port Washington, NY - a place to prepare for our death-defying race through Hell's Gate! 

T minus 36 hours

Friday the 13th?

Five years of dreaming and planning come down to this - a date to pushing off. The house is rented, cars are disposed of, good-byes are underway - and then we leave Friday morning, September 13th. Now, there are superstitious folk (and sailors are some of the most dedicated) that would think it somewhat inauspicious to leave on Friday the 13th. The reason it works for us, is that Beth and I really discovered each other on September 11th 2001 - and if something that good can happen on that particular day, it suggests we are less susceptible to ill omens than others. That's what we keep telling ourselves anyway as Friday looms.

There really isn't much of a mad dash as I've had the whole summer to work on getting things ready while Beth worked. I've fixed everything I've broken and I have a reasonable amount of spares to fix the other things I'll break along the way. Because we moved onto the boat back in May, we got the biggest effort out of the way - disposing of most of our wordily goods and squeezing ourselves onto the boat. That makes this final week much less stressful.

The story of stuff

Some cruisers put things in storage or can simply rent their furnished house. We chose a slightly more drastic approach of getting rid of everything except for what will fit in a smallish closet. That will eventually catch up to us when we figure out what we're doing after cruising. The house will hopefully be sold next year, and then things will be about as simple as we can make them.

Stripping life down to the essentials feels good to me. It's so easy to wind up with garages filled with things you never use or storage rooms in addition to garages. You see it everywhere around you. I hear there are even TV shows dedicated to hoarders these days.  I guess because Beth and I have moved so much in our lives, we've gotten to somewhat resent packing stuff up and perhaps that is what allows us to feel a little more superior. But a boat is really good discipline to unloading and seeing what you can get by on. It's all relative too - there are many cruisers who would be aghast at all the stuff crammed onto our catamaran. We're sort of the hoarders of the cruising world for those sailing around in minimalist fashion. 

What next?

I have been terrifically busy for the last 9 months getting things ready and I do somewhat feel like I'm about to give birth to this new experience where everything will forever be different after it happens. It's a discontinuous event in our mostly linear lives. Most of you reading this probably have kids, so you know what I'm talking about. I'm not exactly sure what lies on the other side of Friday. Certainly there isn't a lot of projects anymore as I've done most everything that should have been done. Maybe I'll be able to relax more and do some of the things that I've always wanted to try. Or maybe I'll just be the plumber, electrician, diesel mechanic, computer IT guy that spends his whole time keeping everything running. I hope not. Stay tuned to discover what happens next!

A tale of two heads

Repair time!

So, this story begins with our protagonist trying to follow, "the best advice a forum can give" and maintain the two heads (sailor-talk for "toilets") on our boat in proper condition. Nothing was wrong with them at the time, but that doesn't mean I can't make something wrong with them if I really dedicate myself to the task. 

The best of intentions

The advice was to put vinegar in the heads to reduce the scale that inevitably builds up because salt-water and urine don't mix. If you're at all squeamish about "potty" things, it's best you abandon this story now, as it only gets worse. A crusty scale develops wherever you give time for the salts to precipitate out. This scale can be dissolved using various chemicals, but vinegar is one of the cheapest and safest to use. A few months ago, we were going away for a week, so I poured a whole bunch of vinegar into each head, thinking that a week would be a good period to dissolve any scale and give us fresh heads to live with.

Problems arise

A few weeks after returning to the boat, I noticed that one of the heads was leaking a bit at the base of the bowl. Hmmm, kind of disgusting, what should I do about it? I tried wiping it up and then ignoring it for a week, but it refused to just go away. Dang, looks like I'm going to be grappling with the most disgusting project a boat owner has to face - taking the head apart and fixing it. 

I prepared as much as I could by flushing the horrid thing a thousand times and covering it in a strong bleach spray cleaner. I then started removing screws, nuts and hoses until I had the throne separated from everything else. Now, my head is "modern" in that it is electric-driven with a motor that macerates the unmentionables. That does keep things a little simpler than the older mechanical pump models, but it is still quite a few parts that need to go back together again in the right way with the right seals properly positioned.

Testing procedures need improvement

After several tries, I felt I had replaced enough of the seals that I had working solution. The only way to know if I had cured the problem was to rebuild it and try it. So, after assembling everything, and being overly confident in my own abilities along with a certain bladder urgency, I put it to the test and filled the bowl. Now, the wise move would have been to pump the bowl with some clean water, but wisdom is still chasing me everywhere and hasn't quite caught up with me. It turns out that I had assembled the seals improperly so when I turned on the motor to flush the bowl, it caused fluids to spray everywhere. Definitely going to need that shower after I get this fixed now...

I think I assembled and disassembled that head about a dozen times as I slowly figured out how it worked and all the possible places a leak could happen. I learned to test using clean water until I could make sure the most recent leak was resolved. Eventually, I had a completely rebuilt head. My family was thrilled!

Practice makes perfect

Why am I telling this story? Well, today was my opportunity to repeat what I learned on the other head. It turns out it started leaking a month ago, but ignoring it didn't work any better than the first time. At least today it only took me 5 hours to resolve the problem and I probably only assembled/reassembled a half-dozen times, so that shows some hope for the future.

The moral of the story

In both cases, the culprit was a little rubber seal that sits on the motor shaft to keep water where it belongs. I'm sure the vinegar attacked that material because it was decomposing when I tried to remove it. I'm absolutely positive that if I hadn't messed with the damn thing I could have saved a couple days of my life bent over a head and dealing with things that can only be described as disgustingly foul.

At some point, we'll be bobbing in front of a deserted beach with a palm trees swaying in the wind and I'll be able to reflect on these moments that got us there. It can't happen soon enough!