More decisions

The sword of damecles, the Boat Safety Scheme examination hangs over our head. The engine repair, which would eliminate the oil and diesel leaks and belt chewing that has been the plague of our cruising life for the last three/four years, will take three weeks plus removal and refitting time. We don't quite have it before we head off for our Summer Cruise this year. Matt the mechanic is off for his hols for two weeks in July and will not be back to complete the job before we need the boat again on the 10th.

However, our BSS certificate expires on the 24th July. We need to fix the diesel leaks. I have examined the BSS documentation and it is emphatic that the fuel system should be maintained such as to remove all sources of fire or prolonging fire. Having deisel leaking out toward or in the vicinity of hot engines seems to me to be BSS unacceptable.

Alternatives must be sought.

The boat is booked in to the boatyard for next Tuesday. The engine work is not to be done then but postponed until later in the year so we need a miracle cure on the fuel spill lines. Almost every marine engineer from Thrupp to Braunston has had a go at this leak and a man in a van from RCR looked at it last week on the Thames. Someone must be able to stem the flow!