TWO CAN XL Renamed… IRP

(Inheritance Reduction Plan)

Episode Three

Maintenance…Maintenance…Maintenance

Apprehensively, the next morning, Prairie Girl and husband departed Port of Sidney to return to the shop that had neglected to replace the seal.  To their mutual relief, they made it without incidence.

As expected, it took till after 5:00 that day to finish the job and splash the TwoCan XL. Their buddy boat friends were hailed and just before entering the BC FERRIES NO SAIL PASSAGE… SURPRISE! You guessed it! The motor was dead as a door knob and wasn’t coming back to life.

Luckily husband was prepared and set up his 20 litres of fuel to go directly to the motor and THEY WERE OFF! About an hour away from Genoa Bay, as the sun was setting and the wind was coming up, guess what? Hmmm, it seems that the TwoCan XL had run out of fuel.  But husband had filled the diesel canister with enough to get them all the way back to Nanoose Bay!

Unfortunately, he had forgotten the fact that the fuel was recycled back to the fuel tank.  Fortunately, for them, their buddy boat friends had a 20 liter jerry can aboard and between husband and buddy boat captain they had enough hose to clamp a fuel return line to the diesel canister. All this was accomplished by a handover, boat-to-boat, in choppy water.  Oh my!

Somehow, it all worked and they tied up to the dock in Genoa Bay for the night and motored on home to Schooner Cove the next morning.

You seasoned sailors out there have already figured it out, haven’t you? It was DIRTY DIESEL in the fuel tank!! The service people probably tested the fuel after the boat had been on the hard for several days and decided it didn’t need polished (even though husband had requested it).

Husband and his buddy emptied the entire tank of its diesel, cleaned it out so that it was spotless, refuelled… and today the motor is back to being their Trusted Old Friend. GOOD GRIEF!

What is the MORAL to this TALE?

Prairie Girl knows that you’re thinking, “Never leave your boat to be serviced unless you are present the entire time.”  But alas, that’s not it. Prairie Girl and husband have realized the safety and security of sailing with a BUDDY BOAT. It made a treacherous journey, a positive experience, in the end.  They are so grateful for the help their friends offered.

And now you know why husband and Prairie Girl are considering the name change for the TwoCan XL. The new name, IRP (Inheritance Reduction Plan) may not be so amusing to their kids!  What are your thoughts, dear readers? TEE HEE!