Eternaut has arrived
After 5 years and 8 months construction time Eternaut has arrived Hong Kong.
As it is weekend we expect to receive the final import papers next week. Only thereafter I can start the tedious process of obtaining vessel operating- and ship radio station license. One is required for the other and two different government departments will be involved. The current Covid-19 wave and shortened office hours won’t speed up that process either.
Still work to do
The days and weeks needed for licensing won’t be unused: There is still lot’s of work to be done on our Diesel SWAN 55: I want to clean and seal fuel tanks, install life saving and emergency equipment. OBMG will check the correct installation of electric and electronic components.
Most of our own supplied equipment was stored in the hot, humid and dusty shipyard environment for around five years. All must be de-dusted, some deep cleaned and others serviced before they had been used even once.
Shopping List
The shopping list keeps growing. Current Covid-19 restrictions won’t allow us to stop in Philippines and at the time I write these lines the closest place for a stop could be Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. That will require a complete southbound crossing of the South China Sea, a journey of 1,000NM. The direct route is not recommended as uncountable reefs and sandbars lie in the way. That will increase travel distance further. Whenever and wherever we will depart to: We must have the boat fully equipped for an ocean crossing on it’s maiden voyage!
Luckily David, the owner of our current mooring, has lots of experience with the Gardner engine we have chosen. One day I will have to “hijack” him to get the correct spare parts for the engine. The Gardner 6LXB is still a common sight in Hong Kong and due to it’s durability very popular among ship owners here.
A race against time
Unfortunately due to the late delivery of the boat this all becomes a race against time: Rainy season usually starts in May, but can begin as early as mid-April or as late as early-June. In any case, after the ITCZ has passed overhead the summer monsoon will kick in. With it’s South-Easterly winds it also brings a North-West setting current for large parts of the South China Sea. Consider the occasional early typhoon in June and my urge to leave rather earlier than later will be understandable.
But first boat has to be registered, ship radio station license obtained, radios and emergency equipment coded. Thereafter a few days/weeks of sea trials. It will be a close call.