The cam lock system worked! Not that we’re surprised. Now we have enough fuel onboard for heat for the winter and some playtime too.

The only hitch in the giddy-up came later when we were transferring the fuel from port to starboard tank to level out the boat. I went down to do an engine room check and discovered fuel pouring off of the starboard tank. Guess we didn’t factor in the fact that even when just using the transfer pump, the starboard tank still only has that stupid little 3/8″ vent. The system got pressurized and it started to leak out of the tee on top.

Easily fixed (plug the 3/8 tube and open the fuel fill on that side – voila, new vent) and we didn’t lose very much at all. Just a bit of clean-up with the absorbent pads and we were good.

That’s the main reason to have an immaculate engine room. Anything amiss shows up instantly when there’s not gunge and muck to hide it. The pink fuel pouring over the white tank was immediately obvious.

We had Brock’s work-partner and his family onboard one night. Lotsa fun, good food at night, fishing in the morning. Megan did catch one silver that was too small to keep (which was what she wanted, being a non-violent earth mother type). She caught, she threw it back, all was well.

Then we dropped them off and headed out to one of our favorite little anchorages for the night.

Port Madison is the closest cute little hideaway we have. It feels miles and miles away from anywhere. When we’ve only got one night outside the locks, that’s usually our choice.

And the rest of Sunday? Fishing, football, and reading on the aft deck. Doesn’t suck!

Pretty iffy Internets where we are going, so pics must wait until we return…but we are out enjoying a blissful, calm, sunny afternoon on the sound.

Hope you’re having a good one too!

…begins with a hole in the fuel tank…

…and a wicked cute smile from the captain…

…and then the drilling commences. I hid upstairs from the ungodly noises.

We had to move all the fuel from one tank into the other and now Katherine Jane is heeled over pretty hard to starboard. It’s very “Poseidon Adventure” climbing up the stairs and hanging from the walls.

A few weeks ago, we turned KJ around in her slip and I thought that was really weird and disorienting. Wasn’t nuthin’ compared to being on her side. I think the hardest part for my brain is the “not moving” part. On some level, I keep expecting her to lean back over on the other side of the wave. The angle is not the freaky part – it’s the lack of movement WITH the angle.

So it goes a lot like this: I’m fine. I’m dizzy. I’m fine. I can’t stand up. I’m fine. Hold onto something. I’m fine. Are we done yet?

We’re adding a fuel fill and a fuel vent to the port tank so that we can fuel at a much faster rate without the Geyser of Diesel effect that we have now. Anybody remember a few years ago when I got a faceful of diesel the very first time we put fuel in KJ? I kept thinking it must have been my fault, something I did wrong, heck, I don’t even know anything about boats after all. Turns out it wasn’t my fault at all.

The vent for the 1500 gallon fuel tanks is one 3/8″ copper pipe. High volume of liquid in…air goes where?

It only took fuel spraying up at Brock’s shirt once before it was decided that we would be fixing that problem, once and for all.

Enter tonight’s festivities.

There were many pieces to choose from.

And a disappearing Brock.

Well, almost. I could still see his knees as he stood in a garbage bag inside the tank. Which did fail slightly and left him a little diesel-y. We’ll just be throwing the pants out, thank you very much.

What is it with boys and their quirks? At 8:10, as he broke the second drill bit, I asked him if he wanted me to run to the local hardware store to pick up a few more just in case. After all, the tank is made of 5/16 steel. And the Home Depot does close at 9:00. No, no, don’t think I’ll need it, he says.

At 8:40, he breaks the last drill bit with two holes left to drill. Suddenly, the ball is in my court. I dash out the door, zoom down to the store, arrive with 7 minutes to spare.

I took pictures of him by just shoving the camera through the hole and aiming in the direction it seemed he was likely facing. You can see the new fill spout on the interior of the tank on the left side.

Finally, at the end:

Finished cam-locks! (Well, they’ll need paint and clean-up, but they are operational!) So now we’ll be able to take on fuel much more quickly and safely, with less risk of those pesky EPA reports and fines. And we’ll also be able to get fuel at more commercial places with higher gpm requirements, which translates to saving money over the course of a 3,000 gallon fill.

Back to level now, please.

I picked ’em by name. I picked ’em by looks. I picked them completely randomly without looking at them. I picked ’em by stats.

I was consistent in my inability to pick a winner. Someone should be able to turn that into profit simply by betting against me.

On the plus side, the bugle guy (no, I don’t know if it’s a bugle…I have no idea) played “Fly Me To The Moon” just for Miss NJ. And Brock *almost* got an Exacta.

It was fun. Not sure I need to go back again, but it was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Lovely morning – second deck to ourselves, many Mimosas, gorgeous (if windy) weather.

The young ones swore they weren’t going to have any fun. I think they lied.

It’s good to be engaged to a man who wakes up with brilliant ideas every day. I can’t wait for the day when I get to call him my husband!