"Stuff Happens"

Two nights ago, in preparation for loading the perishable food for the trip, I turned on the refrigerator....it didn't start!! Having a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering I did the usual things...I turned the switch on and off several times. I banged the display...all to no avail.
I looked at the manual and the schematic showed a fuse on the compressor, put there as a backup in case the switch (breaker) went bad..
The compressor is located in the starboard lazerette and to get to it I had to empty the lazerette (its a locker about 5 feet deep by 6 feet long by 3 feet wide meant to hold stuff you might need (lines, fenders, buckets, whatever).
I crawled in and crouching down in the bottom front part of the lazerette I could see the compressor, but the fuse is on the opposite side of where I could see. Using a mirror positioned behind the lazerette I could see the fuse, but I couldn't pull it out (and if I had succeeded, there was no way I could have put it back in .

I decided to call a marine refrigerator service company. He whined about how busy he was what with the Annapolis boat show coming up, but promised to send someone out on Thursday (today).

We started planning on foods we could bring and meals we could make without refrigeration..

Molli and I spent this morning loading clothes and bedding onto the boat while  waiting for the service guy to show...

He never showed and didn't return calls so I decided to see what I could do myself

I spent some quality time this afternoon down in the starboard lazerette (after having spent time emptying it out so I could get into it). 

As I mentioned, the compresser is tucked up under the deck at the forward part of the lazerette. 

After staring at it for a while I noticed a black wire, the ground wire from the battery, was not attached.  But of course the attachment point is hidden behind part of the compressor (actually right next to the fuse that I couldn't reach before. Having nothing to lose at this point... I took part of the compressor off-the electronic control- so I could get to the terminal. Assuming a pretzel shape,  I attempted to reconnect it... Almost had it once... And decided I really needed to find someone much more limber than me.  

I called Tidewater Yacht Services who had done much work for me this summer, some of it actually taking place in the lazerette as part of the radar installation and sort of implied they had knocked off the wire and could they send someone limber over to help me. I was desparate and they took pity on me.  One of their guys showed up an hour later. 

Took him 15 minutes (Oh to be able to bend agan.)...and now it is cooling away!!

I celebrated by driving over to Whole Foods and buying 10 steaks that are going into the freezer tomorrow!!

Tomorrow (Friday) we shop for other perishables (cheese, vegetables) and continue packing. 

We plan to cast off our lines Sunday morning

All is well!!