Day 501 Some work and some play.

The old tank--full of water.
The "new" tank, full of air.

The masthead light(the very first one before the mast went up).

Sunday started early with the removal of the old pressure tank for the water system.  This gizmo keeps the water under pressure at all times so that the water pump only has to work once the pressure drops below a specific pressure.  The pump gets to work less and so uses fewer amps.  A good thing on any boat that doesn't have a genset to make electricity.  The rubber bladder that keeps the unit under pressure had failed a while ago causing the pump to cycle on and off every time a faucet was turned on using up the amps.  I unscrewed the fitting on the end and water started pouring out--lots of it.  The tank was full!!  Tracy rushed me bucket after bucket to collect the water since I really didn't want it to start pouring onto the engine.  

After about 15 minutes, it finally started to slow down where we could get the unit unscrewed from the brackets on the wall.  Even half full, she weighed a bunch especially in a confined space like a sailboat engine room.  We carried it--upside down-- to the sink and let her drain.  The water started coming out black!  Apparently, once the rubber bladder broke, the opposite side was loaded with some kind of black rubber dust and that got mixed with the water and became a layer of sediment on the bottom of the tank.  Tracy had told me a few weeks ago that the water had taken on a strange taste.

In went the "new" tank.  I'd bought one from Blue Pelican Marine Supply here in Oakland.  They sell used goods on consignment.  At $30.00, I think I got a good deal.  It's smaller than what I took out, but Zephyr only has three faucets and they never run at the same time so no real problem with a smaller unit.  Luckily, the bolts for the old units brackets lined up with the new one so it went in quick.  Luckily, our son Matt showed up just as I got it in.  The store had pumped the unit FULL of air so no water could get in to get pressurized.  Matt, being the smart one in the family, had me take most of the pressure out of the tank and allow the pump to re-pressurize the tank to the correct pressure.  Water entered the tank and pressure built till the pump turned off at the pressure it was set at and we were done.

Next came the masthead light--for the fourth time.  These units from OMG are suppose to be one of the best on the market.  Well, the first three all failed in one way or another.  The unit is supposed to flash a strobe light,  have an all around anchor light, and a set of the red, green and white navigation lights all built in with a photo cell the turn it on at dusk and off at sunrise.  The first one didn't strobe.  The second ones light began to fade after a few weeks until the stars above it were brighter than the light.  The third did the same after a few months.  The company, to their credit admitted that they had had a problem with the computer circuits in the unit and replaced it with no problem.  The problem was to get to the top of the mast to change it out.  Luckily, Matt is a climber and has climbed several buildings as well as repelled down numerous cliffs.  So up he went and got the job done.  My back is still causing me some problems so we thought it better for him to go up rather than me(insert a sigh of relief by your's truly).  He brought his climbing equipment and hooked it up to the reserve genoa halyard and up he went, screwdriver in hand.  About a half hour later, we flipped the switch and on it came.  Job done!!

Off for lunch and on to the "Exploritarium" in San Francisco.  a fascinating group of exhibits showing all kinds of things.  Impossible to describe as there are so many exhibits to see.  Off for Chinese food for dinner and back to Zephyr for a good night sleep.