May 26

We spent today at Baie Ngo doing boat jobs. Maintenance mostly; we changed the engine oil and filter, checked the generator oil (it was down a few ounces so we topped it up), we also changed a few fuel filters. Finally, I installed the 120v heater element in the hot water heater. We have a 230v element which we install when we are at a marina for a significant time, like when we stayed over for cyclone season in NZ and again in Australia. When we are plugged into shore power we get 230vac unlike in the US where we have 120vac.

Of course, since our boat is American like us, all the AC electrical devices use 120vac (most of our electrical devices are DC powered use 12v right from the ship's batteries). When in a non-American port we take 230v shore power and pipe it into a battery charger and the hot water heater. Then we use our 12vdc->120vac inverter to provide AC power for our AC appliances. So, when we are cruising (anchored out, etc.) we put the 110v element in the hot water heater and change 2 wires and we now make hot water using the generator (which produces 110vac of course). Phew. More information then you needed I'm sure.

Tomorrow morning we will move a whopping 9 miles to Ile Ouen (Whaa Island - I erroneously reported it was When Island yesterday, after discussing it with Kate we have agreed the closest English spelling should be "Whaa" with an emphasis on the "wh", kind of like a duck quacking without the 'Q'). If it is nice there we may stay a few days, there are several anchorages on Ouen which are all supposed to be nice. The spot we are now is great for peace and quiet and is very calm and protected, but the water is greenish and not so clear. Its because we are in a shallow, deep, muddy bay. Isle des Pins is one of these crystal clear blue see-through water like you expect in a tropical isle. The sand is also reported to be powder white and very soft. Ouen is somewhere between geographically and I expect it to be not quite as nice as Iles des Pins but it has tons of coral around it so I suspect it is nicer then where we are now (at least in that regard).