A Cleaner Bilge

Today Sara and I cleaned the bilge. This undesirable task was inadvisably initiated at anchor instead of a dock, where fresh water was to be had.

Removing and disposing of a thin layer of engine oil was no problem. The odor from anarobic bacteria which bred beneath the warm, murky surface was not the worse thing I ever whiffed. But it is in the top 20. The sludge on the bottom was emulsified. Normally the engine tray picks up the oil drip from the seals, but this is old, prehistoric goo. Ford Lehman Super 90 is a glorified tractor engine; it leaked the day it came off the factory floor. We’ll take this up again when there is fresh water and oil disposal available.

Looking to cruise to Culebra on Tuesday with friends as the wind looks like it will veer ESE. Keeping an eye on the tropical Atlantic Hurricane assessment.