Ahipara

[Kyle]Our initial forecasts indicated we would be in Ahipara for two calendar days while waiting for a wind shift to go over the top if the North Island. Since the beach and the local hikes seemed like they were a bit far (at least the landing didn't look so straightforward), we decided it was probably a good time to have a maintenance day before getting into all of that.

Both engines had developed small leaks that I had been meaning to address for a while. Now I had the time. Our port engine was weeping fuel from the high-pressure pump. The starboard one was leaking oil from the same spot. I rebuilt the first fuel pump and put a new gasket behind the second. That fixed both problems. The starboard engine was also due for an oil and filter change, so I did that while I had everything apart anyway. Maryanne sat in the sun and gave herself a mani-pedi while reading a romance novel and drinking a Tom Collins.

Naw! I’m kidding! She rebuilt the pump on our port toilet.

When we were both finished, we cleaned up and checked the new wind forecast. The new best time to leave is now tomorrow. So much for seeing more of Ahipara. Sometimes it really is just boat maintenance in exotic places...

Fixing things is all part of the lifestyle