Friday 3^rd February

Pete Headlam has to relinquish the MacGuyver crown.  Peter Newman, out of Devonport, on Plan Four, is The New MacGuyver! 

Against the odds the two Peters found the necessary parts for the gearbox, and dismantled and re-built the broken one. It was very broken indeed, with bits of hard sharp metal lurking in the depths of the engine block.  Pete rang his Tasmanian mechanic, who said it would be impossible to do this work without putting the boat on the slip and taking everything apart.  But…Peter Newman gazed intently at the engine blueprints and worked out an alternative way of going about things.

By two o’clock, everything was fixed!  We are beyond grateful.  I made celebratory omelettes for the hardworking GearBoxBoys and then sent the Plan Four crew home to have a rest.  They are coming back at 5.00 for drinks; I will have to do some kitchen MacGuyvering and see if I can rustle up some sort of tasty dip.

And tomorrow it is possible, just possible, that we will continue our much-interrupted trip south.