Training Log Archive: Mess Engineer

Event: Newcastle NOY 6 - Balickera
 

Medium Hard. 14 Controls. Nominal 5.3 km.

Had my best ever navigation day!
No issues with any controls (the splits may reveal some time losses but they should be minor .... and I am sure the usual suspects still thrashed me ... but pleasing to have the occasional "good day").
Found every control rapidly .... many I saw from 50 to 100 m away and some I spiked within 2 metres coming through the bush.
Never lost contact with the map at any point!

I have run on this map 3 times before (with two prior big time screw-ups) but like the availability of track options and the obvious prominent water courses and hill features.

The Moderate Long shared 7 of 11 controls from Medium Hard.
The Hard Short shared 8 of 12 controls from Medium Hard.
The Hard Long shared 10 of 16 controls for Medium Hard.
With that large level of duplication I decided against doing a second course and left early.

C • mix'match 2

Hard Medium - Splits

8:05 am - 10:15 am
Decided to have a day at home catching up chores.
5 wheelbarrows of sticks to the Fire Pit from around the house yard.

10:20 am - 11:25 am
Haven't mowed in nearly 4 months (19th March 2015 to be precise).
Could have left it but wanted a general tidy up and then can leave it for probably another 3 months.

Lawn mower took a while to start up even with choke on ... and stalled when I engaged the blades as engine was still not warm enough.
Sorted it out in a few minutes. Also ran out of fuel midway but had more in jerry can.

First time I have mowed over the grass area which got covered with 40 wheel barrows of gravel washed off my flooded drive in the 'April Super Storm'. As expected patches of gravel hit by blades. More raking required!!!

11:30 am - 12:05 pm
Round 2 of stick collection exposed from mowing lawn.

Lunch.

12:30 pm - 1:05 pm
Whipper snipping around trees, septic sprinklers and house

1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
Burning off Fire Pit whilst raking up some of the large piles of leaves washed up around trees from the 'April Super Storm' and then throwing them on the burning fire (about 4 wheelbarrows worth).

Hadn't cleaned the pool since the storm either.
When tried the pool pump had died.
Could hear the motor trying but no motion.
Explains why pool starting to look dirty and ducks have moved in.

New pump about $1000.
So decided to try the Engineer in "Mess Engineer" first.

Took housing off and impellor casing.
Found motor would run ok.
Some gumnuts and other debris in impellor blades so cleaned that out.

Every time impellor casing back on the motor would stall.
Found a few burr marks from where the two rub together.
"Cheated" by running the pump with the casing off and using sandpaper to polish up the mating surfaces.
Eventually got it to run with the impellor casing correctly in place.
Took a few attempts to get pump to run fully assembled.

Eventually got it to run with excellent suction and all looked good.

Got about 80% through cleaning pool and suction dropped back off.
Took it apart again and found more gumnuts half blocking impellor blades.

Looks like when I replaced the 10 year old broken plastic pump debris cage 6 months ago .... with one that was not the correct size .... that debris can get around cage (despite the pool shops promises) and impact on pump.

I wIll try to get a correctly sized debris cage.
Still might be up for a new pump yet but will try a $25 solution first.
Leave pump switched off in the meantime.

Darby Street to Nobbys Breakwall and return.
Short section on sand as the footpath closed for upgrade.

C • Bbrrr 2

With KC

Nobbys Beach Intervals.
KC attended and managed 4.68 km.
It rained briefly and wasn't as cold as prior weeks.