FIXING THINGS

25 February 2024

Last week I took a trip into Mataram to pick up the replacement toilet part which was being fabricated for me.  The workshop said it was ready for collection so off I went.  How stupid of me, I should have known better after all the time I had worked in Indonesia.  Of course, when I arrived the part wasn’t ready! 

Indonesians are always eager to give you good news but reticent about giving bad news.  In this case the guy in the workshop was optimistic that the part would be delivered before I arrived. Until the last minute he irrationally wished for the part to magically arrive so he wouldn’t have to disappoint me. It didn’t and he did.  My fault I should have asked for a photo on WhatsApp (everyone uses it here) to verify its existence before setting off. 

My trip to Mataram wasn’t a completely wasted day, I did some shopping and stocked up on some dry provisions and fresh fruits.  I also stocked up on some mini bread puddings from a bread shop at the Epicentrum shopping mall, I am sort of addicted to them.

Eventually I received the toilet part a few days later, it was sent down to me at Gili Gede by motorbike from Mataram.  It looks OK and the critical dimensions are the same as the original plastic part. 

A short time later I had fitted the new part and the toilet was fully functional again.  I had two spares made up from stainless steel, just in case the remaining plastic one fails in the future.  I am not certain about the quality of the stainless steel and no doubt it will want to weep rust at some time in the future, I will monitor it. The cost for the two spares $30 NZ, actually cheaper than ordering new ones from Lavac in the UK.

On board I carry an electric scooter.  I wanted to bring my folding bike but unfortunately its just too big to fit comfortably into the cockpit locker.  The scooter is Ok when the roads or paths are smooth which isn’t too often where I am cruising.  Around the area where I am now the roads are ok and I decided to get the scooter out and take a trip into the local market. 

When I tried to start it up it failed.  Nothing working and as dead as a Dodo.  I took the floor cover off it to check the battery and reset switch.  All good down there and the battery was charging ok.  Then I took a look under the dashboard.  It was nasty, looks like salt air and moisture has got into the electronics and buggered up the circuit board.

I have tried cleaning it up but the corrosion is too far gone, I will need a new circuit board.  Salt water is a killer.  Just another thing to fix.  Someone once said that cruising consists of fixing things in exotic locations.  There is certainly a lot of fixing things involved in cruising.   

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