There was no plan. Well, until right before we left. A day off, we had our normal "Wednesday laundry" done. Izzy is getting quite low on the cat food she really likes... and we can't get here on this island. I said, "Let's hop on the ferry and go to America!"
We pulled up to the ferry landing about 5 minutes before loading time (no reservation - they always have room for a couple scooters, right?)...
We got on - first ones. I like how this works. Up to the passenger deck...
Joan had fruit and breakfast sandwiches for us. I went outside to get a photo of the construction starting on the building where the new office for San Juan Safaris (and several other businesses will be)...
That light colored small portable office (we call it: the kiosk) is where Joan works. It is going to get loud, being right next to the construction. While waiting for the ferry to pull out, we got an e-mail from the bookkeeper: they have cut the phone and internet lines to the office... fun. And things are just getting started. Nothing we can do, the ferry is about to pull out.
The weather weasels were calling for "partly sunny"...
Cloudy and damp feeling. Since we were able to get on without a reservation, we decided we better not push our luck, and pulled out our phones to make ferry reservations for the return trip at 4:45... "Sold Out - all reservations have been released."
Well, crap. I don't want to hang out until 8:00 tonight, so... we made reservations on the 2:00 ferry. That cuts our time here real short. OK, "retail therapy" is out - Target (for cat food), Wally World (other stuff), a quick stop for lunch, and we will need to haul ass back.
I am always impressed with Joan's ability to pack a shopping cart full of stuff in the scoots. Well, after leaving Wally World, my dry-bag backpack was weighted down...
We rolled back to the ferry landing with a couple minutes to spare...
And then the plan really went downhill... the parking attendant said, "Load 'em up!" Joan was saying something to the woman on the red Vespa next to her... I went around... and there was no Joan in my rear view mirror. I stopped. The woman on the Vespa said, "Her bike won't start," as she rode by me.
I pulled the bike off the road to the ferry and started back on foot... and Joan was pushing her scoot towards the ferry. "You can't put that on the ferry if it won't start!" said another attendant. I took the scoot from Joan and parked it next to mine. We quickly determined that the battery was weak. The attendant ran to get a jumper battery pack and told us we could get on the ferry last, instead of first... if it would start. I clamped on the jumper pack, and the scoot fired right up. "Let's get on the ferry, and we'll figure out the problem from there," I said.
The attendant said, "They have a jumper battery on the ferry, too - just in case!"
We were the last ones on. I called NAPA from the ferry to see if they had this size battery... nope. And, he let me know it would be a special order and "you will have to pay for the extra freight." I hadn't even asked about the price.
When we got to Friday Harbor, I pushed the starter on Joan's bike... and it fired right up. Whew! Straight home, and I put a battery tester on it. It was showing a full charge. I put a load on it while not running, and it dropped. Faster than I would like to see. Fired up, and the alternator pulled it right up. Yep, a new battery is the next plan. But, it didn't drop so low it wouldn't start. Not something I want to put off, but with the charger on and tested again, it seems to be holding the charge.
I guess we were fortunate it happened where it did and the ferry attendants have a jumper pack handy. Of course, if we had more time, we could have hit up a Battery Plus or an Interstate Battery shop and swapped out on the spot.
Living on an island.
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