This post was written 17/11/21 since then we have been on holiday and back, then a week stalking hinds, time flies!!!

Getting ready for going off on holiday the week of the 15th was a busy time. Everything we use has to be checked, fuel in cars, firewood at the cottages, central heating oil and generator oil levels. Boat out of the water, Clean the Lodge, food for the cat, venison orders to put together. It all mounts up. Hectic to say the least.

So a calm measured week is what we need and a calm weather forecast. There were some nice sunrises last week, Wednesday as per the previous post was a busy day and looking forward to the next three days before departure it all looked pretty straightforward with Sunday’s departure weather looking ok!!

Then on Thursday morning the generator failed to start. So I took off early down to the shed(6.30am) not quite dressed for the job, still in the jimjams and in a panic. The power was just about to fail so I was very disappointed to see that the alarm that had stopped the genny was showing low oil pressure. I hesitantly started it and it ran, not seized, it sounded and felt ok BUT……..

The generator at Big Harbour was bought about three years ago, A Lister TS2. We have two older models and this one was a replacement when an alternator went on the Big Harbour one. We could not source an alternator so we just had to buy a new genny. We eventually managed to find a suitable alternator so the older one was repaired and had sat in the garage as a spare ever since.

All good getting a new genny except it was a badly made unit, made with cheap parts sourced I think it was from China or India, in fact it was a disaster leaking oil continually. It was part of a bad batch it turned out, Lister should never have sold them. It had only done about 2500 hours so should have been under some sort of warranty but that was over three years. I had hoped it would survive until January but no….. but of course it had to pack up when we were going away in three days.

We did get replacement parts from Lister reluctantly and not all we needed, lack of a suitable time meant we had not got round to fitting them, I guess we pushed our luck.

So, nothing for it but to haul out the spare in the garage, stick it on the tractor, head down to the genny shed and install it.

Quite a daunting prospect and who knew if it would work. I had ordered a stand by genny from MacGregors Portree and that was due to arrive by chance on Sunday, so there was back up coming.

No time to mess about, the JCB is a very handy jack!!

Everything went well with Mike’s help. We had it installed and running by late afternoon. Despite a leaking diesel pipe and a search for an exhaust. We took the broken Lister to the shed, to be stripped over the winter and repaired for a spare.

We monitored it over the next couple of days and it seemed to be speaking to the inverter, starting and running ok, so fingers crossed for the fortnights holiday.

Another problem that had arisen was the water supply but on checking on the Friday (a week later) the level was up and the pressure was good, another tick in the box.

Despite all the hassle I still managed my swims but they were getting later and later.

Good weather on Saturday with a lovely sunset promised a good sailing on Sunday. But in true Rona style the weather had changed again and Sunday morning turned breezy with lots of Skye Misty rain for the rest of the day and that was the pattern for the next fortnight on Rona. We would be away so nothing missed.

We had Doctors appointments on Monday so we stayed the night in Portree a very misty scene was what we had. Very atmospheric, finally relaxing with a beer in the Tongadale

It could have been a better pre-holiday week but with so many plates spinning it is not an unusual situation. But it does get tiring sometimes. Now to relax and enjoy our holiday in North Yorkshire, vis Edinburgh.