February 6, 2024
Oh, you won’t believe the water world drama happening on our boat, Saga! It’s like she’s got a secret mission to turn into a floating pool, but we’re not signing up for that cruise.
Michael’s room starts it all
First up, under Michael’s bed is a compartment where boardgames are stored. This supposed board game haven turns into a soggy surprise. I’m thinking, “Is this a board game or Battleship?” Water everywhere! Boris asks if it’s fresh or salt water. How would I know this? He says taste it…um, no! He tastes it, it’s fresh. Whew!
Turns out, the leak culprit was a sneaky leaky water filter. A quick fix later, we thought we were home-free, but nope!
Fast forward to November, and I’m on water patrol again. This time, it’s raining hard and under Michael’s bed is full of water again. Did someone forget to close the windows? Yep, guilty as charged! It was closed but not tight enough and the rain would run along and down the walls. Tightening those window latches saved us from a watery bed situation. No more leaks in Michael’s room. Hooray!
My washing machine has it in for me
Then, one day I’m doing laundry and the machine stops working, giving me the error code that there’s a clog. I try to open the hatch to clear the clog, but the drum is full of water and water starts gushing from the hatch. I close that quick and decide to bail out the water from the drum and remove the wet clothes. Unfortunately there’s still water inside and I’m forced to open the hatch and let it flow. Towels are strategically placed to absorb the water and everything is soaked as it pools over the floor. I can now check for the clog but find nothing. Strange. Let’s try this again.
I run the laundry and get the same error message as the drum fills with water. It’s late, I’m not dealing with this. I bail the water again, but leave that hatch closed. Boris can help in the morning.
Boris does help, and after pouring water all over the floor again, finds a small wrapper way in the back. That fixed it!
Just when I thought the water sagas were over, December hits us with another splashdown. The sump pump compartment decides to host its own water party. Boris suspects the air conditioner line, but nope, it’s not the culprit. Thankfully it’s also not the sump pump. I’ve been hearing short, intermittent water pump sounds, hinting at a fresh water leak. We’re playing detective, but the leak remains an elusive Houdini.
Annette’s room wants in on the action
But wait, there’s more! Annette’s bed becomes the next victim. A wet compartment discovery under her floor sends me on a wild goose chase. There’s a lot of water. Could it be the washing machine? Nope. Air conditioner? Negative. We’re drying out the space faster than a tumbleweed in the desert. Following the toilet hose which runs under her floor (it wasn’t the culprit), we unveil a hidden compartment under Annette’s bed. Who knew? It’s like finding Narnia, but wetter. This compartment is really full of water and the overflow leaks into the first compartment. But where is all of this water coming from?
Turns out, the kids’ bathroom sink faucet was the sneaky culprit, leaking its way into the sump pump compartment and Annette’s bed hideout. The newly discovered compartment was so full of water, it would overflow and refill with the leak running down the hose line. Boris had to embark on a Miami mission for a new faucet because, you know, boat life adventures always need a road trip. Thankfully we had a rental car as we are hanging out in Key Largo.
Might as well include the propellers
So, last December, we decided to give our boat a little TLC – you know, a Christmas present of fresh bottom paint and shiny new propellers. We even sent the old props to Miami for a spa day. ‘Cause, hey, boat life can get a bit rough on the props!
Back from the holidays, feeling all refreshed, we set sail for Crystal River. Little did we know, the anchorage gets a bit touchy when the tide decides to take a break. Picture waking up to Saga doing the awkward boat equivalent of sitting on the seafloor. Cue the panic!
Quick thinking and some dinghy-anchoring magic, and we managed to rescue Saga from her unplanned seafloor cuddle. But, alas, the shiny new propeller didn’t escape unscathed – got itself a ding that turned our boat into a shaky rollercoaster whenever we tried to pick up speed.
Now, here’s where the plot thickens. We’re in Key Largo with a rental car (thanks, four-wheeled hero!), and it hits us – let’s pick up those pampered props from Miami! Throw in a couple of underwater superheroes (aka divers) to swap them out, and voila – we’re back in business. Well, at least until the next boat adventure decides to make a splash!
Mighty Fine Brass There
Now, fingers crossed, Saga’s done with her antics.
Just A Bit Loopy 