Since our arrival in Brazil, almost two weeks have passed and we are still in Fortaleza. Except for a mere two days, one of which we spent checking in and the other sightseeing, the rest has gone into emptying, cleaning, drying and refilling our tanks. Emptying fuel tanks shouldn't be such a big deal but you would be amazed! And it was not just the fuel tanks that we had to empty and clean but the whole fuel system including fuel lines, hoses, filters, valves etc. There was an astonishing amount of sludge and slime in the system which was scraped off with the help of Eugenio, a local fisherman who was small enough to squeeze through the narrow passage between the engine and the tank. To ensure that nothing of this sort would ever happen again, before refilling, we first poured fuel microbiocide into the tanks to kill all the bacteria and fungi that might still be lurking therein (and we call ourselves environmentalists!!).
Since there is no fuel dock at the marina, we arranged another local to bring 600 litres of diesel in barrels to the marina driveway. This he did with his tiny VW beach buggy that was almost crushed under the weight of the fuel. And as I write this, the barrels are being emptied into our tanks by means of gravity.
Despite the double breakwater, inside the marina, there is a continuous swell or actually a surge that is constantly pushing and pulling our good boat Sarema. The violently swinging pontoons even managed to cut two of our seven lines and dent the boat's swimming platform. So, now that everything seems to be intact and functioning once again, we are more than happy to leave Fortaleza tomorrow and continue our journey towards Rio de Janeiro.
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