Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
“Hey, that might just be a good idea.” I said, perking up. “We could use a lead sinker.”
“How do we melt the lead?” Gavin answered his own question.
“God, I don't know. We've got to do something,” I said cooling down from my tantrum.
I took the lantern and looked at it carefully. Reaching into the little tool locker above the
companionway steps, I pulled out a little crescent wrench. I adjusted it to fit the nut secur-
ing the choke assembly and twisted it carefully off. It looked worse than it actually was.
“Isn't that life, always appears worse than it is,” I said wryly, while lighting a Full Speed
with my other hand.
“Here, you break this down and clean it; I will see what I can do to plug these rust holes.”
I passed Gavin the rusty pipe and choke assemblage. I had a vague idea. What did we have
to lose?
I popped my head outside to make sure we weren't being run down by an oil tanker or some
other danger and resumed my rummaging through the tool locker. I came across a plastic
tub that I had kept all manner of screws in: self tappers with countersunk heads, pan heads,
raised countersunk heads, Phillips heads and slotted heads. I took a towel and turned this
tub upside down on the towel. All the screws came tumbling out. I spread them about on
the towel and sorted out a few options. I put the balance of these screws back in the tub and
produced another tub with washers. Again, I emptied this on the towel and found a variety
of washers. Finally, I went to the scrap materials bag and produced some off cuts of leather.
“What the hell are you doing?” asked Gavin in amazement. “Is that for the holes in the
base?”
“Just be patient. All will be revealed in due course.”
“Yes, and all will be in pieces in due course too,” he scoffed back.
I felt fairly confident of my idea and went on to cut up some little washers from the leather
scrap. I placed the lantern on the companionway step and, taking some fine sandpaper,
cleaned and sanded the area around the rust holes that had eaten right through. I took a
stainless steel, self-tapping screw with a fine thread and screwed it into one of the rust holes
carefully with a screwdriver. Back and forth I twisted it until I could feel it had a good set
of threads. I then took a washer and placed it over the screw, also feeding the leather wash-
er onto the screw. I carefully screwed home the self tapper and seated the leather washer up
against the rust hole. The stainless steel washer backed it up and pressed it firmly against
the hole. I found three more such holes and repeated the process, seating the leather washer
firmly against the freshly sanded rust holes.
“Let's hope the paraffin won't attack the leather; otherwise, it's a good idea.”
