And now, this.

I'm a week in on this tour aboard the HQ and winter is here. We had our first cold snap ans the HQ scored a resounding 'meh' in terms of resiliance.  

On one hand, the potable water system did great; where last year our pipes froze and we spent days at a time unable to maintain basic hygeine (with no fucks given by most at the office), leading to a serious morale problem and a Fuck You attitude to all, including me, sadly, this year, after considerable effort spearheaded by me, with the patient support of my port engineer and the cooperation of The Money, a shipyard crew, and lots of patience, we were the proud posessors of washed asses the whole while.

 On the downside, one of my two big cargo pump engines refused to start for the first time. Water vapor in the compressed air system froze the starter motor, which happens, but not to this HQ... until now. 

 Easy solution there, though messy. We were still getting air at 110psi at the starter, but when I opened the air valve, just a fraction of the air was getting through the stsrter, not enough to turn over the engine... but 110PSI (about 8 bar) which is more than adequate pressure-wise, so I grabbed a pipe wrench and took off the big 1 1/2" hydraulic hose that we use for starting air, right at the starter, and dumped a 1/4 cup of antifreeze in the hose before screwing it back in. Kicking the air valve blows antifreeze into the starter (and all over the engine and into a vapor cloud about 10 feet across and all over me), which blows the ice off the vanes of the starter and turns the engine over. Vroom vroom, Bob's your uncle. 

  Sumpin' to be said for growing up in New England on shitty workboats. Field fixes is still fixes.