Plan X
To rebuild the exploded battery in Nouakchott as I had discovered that actually there are NO 12 volt batteries in the country.
Loo and Gary (honourary GSers even though they ride Hondas) had arrived in Nouakchott with a tube of weld stuff and so the operation was undertaken.
I set off with some trepidation - 450 kms to cover to reach tarmac and the relative sanity of Morocco - with a dodgy battery and no suspension.
Yes - it was leaking, and so I have applied a sanitary towel to the battery (a wing-less slimline one for the tech heads amongst you).
It seems to be slowing the acid leakage,Tobi has taken to rolling his eyes whenever I say I have got an idea
So, we crossed the last of the sand and entered back into Morocco.
From then on it has been Ethel to the rescue as first Tobi ran out of fuel and then got a puncture.
The major event of the last 2 days is that he has now lost his gearbox - it is kaput and happened on the desert highway - we then had an epic of a day (too long to go into here) involving a refrigerated lorry, the police and a team of Jâpanese pêople in a minivan.
The upshot is that I ended up TOWING Tobi on his R100GS (Paris Dakar version) for 125 kms - it wasn't much fun as I had my nearly bald desert tyre on the rear and NO suspension, naturally the desert winds were blowing as well.
Ethel coped well and we got to Laayoune.
We are now checking out his options...
To rebuild the exploded battery in Nouakchott as I had discovered that actually there are NO 12 volt batteries in the country.
Loo and Gary (honourary GSers even though they ride Hondas) had arrived in Nouakchott with a tube of weld stuff and so the operation was undertaken.
I set off with some trepidation - 450 kms to cover to reach tarmac and the relative sanity of Morocco - with a dodgy battery and no suspension.
Yes - it was leaking, and so I have applied a sanitary towel to the battery (a wing-less slimline one for the tech heads amongst you).
It seems to be slowing the acid leakage,Tobi has taken to rolling his eyes whenever I say I have got an idea
So, we crossed the last of the sand and entered back into Morocco.
From then on it has been Ethel to the rescue as first Tobi ran out of fuel and then got a puncture.
The major event of the last 2 days is that he has now lost his gearbox - it is kaput and happened on the desert highway - we then had an epic of a day (too long to go into here) involving a refrigerated lorry, the police and a team of Jâpanese pêople in a minivan.
The upshot is that I ended up TOWING Tobi on his R100GS (Paris Dakar version) for 125 kms - it wasn't much fun as I had my nearly bald desert tyre on the rear and NO suspension, naturally the desert winds were blowing as well.
Ethel coped well and we got to Laayoune.
We are now checking out his options...