Hey, propellor, you only got one job!

capnsensible

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A boat is a device to cause discomfort whilst draining you wallet. I have proof. ?

We left on a Hanse 445 for a lads tour of the Canaries on Saturday. As planned, 1100. Fab first day, nice NE Trades, beamy reach, 7 knots average, hurrah. On Sunday morning, with over 140 miles cracked, it was time to run engine to recharge batteries. Here we go. Engine goes round and round but no drive. Gearbox? Sail drive leg (devils work), prop fouled or fallen off? So there goes another hour figuring out its the sail drive.

So, what next skipper? We were nw of Tenerife in a bumpy sea and no engine power. Several yards came to mind in S. Tenerife or Gran Canaria. A long downwind sail. No real problem but would be an expensive tow for the last bit plus gawd knows how long getting diagnosed, parts arriving and repairs. Yuk.

Other option,, take the hit of a two day beat back against the trades with the wind forecast to drop right off Tuesday afternoon. Ok, so feint heart never porked a pig, so Lanza here we come. For comfort and speed in quite a bumpy sea, it wasn't good to stay tight on the wind, plus I reckon the big slab sided boats like this give a lot of leeway. However, having not much else to do, it didn't really matter. Kebabs in the oven with chips and fried egg never tasted so good. Except for our seasick crew who was convinced his insides were going to be his outsides.....

The forecast did what it said. About 300 miles sailed to do 140 back. As you do. Plus of course, little wind for last twenty miles, coaxing every bit out of the yacht in a still quite bumpy sea with winds dropping from 25 knots to around 8! So six hours got us 20 miles nearer. Then is not what you know, but who. Friends volunteered to come out on their yacht to tow us the last three miles. But that's arriving around sunset, no private towing in the marina ever so need to anchor outside. Was easy to slip tow, use momentum to get to a good spot and bung out a shed load of chain in six metres. Job done. Another favour from a friend, nipped out in his rib to pick up myself and mattress man, owner staying on board overnight.

So endexed another nautical adventure! ?
 
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James_Calvert

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Suppose we ought to be awaiting a report on what was wrong with their propulsion.

Meanwhile....

diced carrots...

no one knows where they came from,

never ate them.
 

capnsensible

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All our guy tried for two days was some tomato soup that rebounded. Of course as we got into calmer water he started to eat a bit and last night ate the equivalent of a horse, I think.

Two problems on boat. Teleflex cable mechanism corroded. Not hard to fit new one. I had taken the gear cable off the gearbox end to put into gear by hand. Apparently it needs a good ramming to get in gear. ? Gonna play with that a bit more tomorrow.
 

capnsensible

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Blimey - I don’t think I would have gone back but it would have been expensive.
I had no other pressing plans! ?

Probably gonna take a run up to Graciosa after the weekend. Not much wind so good test of engine. Then, long shot depending on weather, a run over to Mogan on Gran Canaria at end of month. Remaining....flexible!
 

RupertW

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I had no other pressing plans! ?
You have a far greater appetite for upwind work than me. I love it for a day’s thrashing through the water but otherwise tend to avoid - e.g. the route we did a couple of times to get from Las Galetas to Santa Cruz de Tenerife was across to Gran Canaria to Puerto Mogan then back across to Santa Cruz the next day. Even I know that’s a much longer sail and a very wet reach both ways.

But it’s all fun and so much warmer than all those years beating down the Channel from Solent to Plymouth so as long as you don’t get seasick (which I don’t after the first couple of hours) then I guess why not.
 

Neeves

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This does nothing for seasickness, in fact might make it worse - as bending over a hot engine is a sure fire way of becoming seasick

But

I mentioned this on the Morse Cable thread on PBO

Take a picture of the cable attachment at the engine end - before you take the cable off. The attachment is simple, getting the length right a bit of a faff.

If you gear change cable fails then simply swap the morse cable that controls the throttle for the failed one on the gear change mechanism. They will be much the same length, if not identical. As mentioned changing gear needs some Oomph but the throttle is much easier to control. You can rig up throttle control with a decent bit of cord and a few blocks - routeing the chord to the helm. If needs be you rig up 2 cords - one for more speed one for less.

This will get you home, or to somewhere where you can replace the duff cable.

The biggest issue is identifying its a cable failure and not a whole host of other failures.

I know we will not have a failure as having had one fail I bought 2 spare cables (as we have 2 engines), one long, one short. As mentioned the cable length is printed along the cable.

Jonathan
 

richardbayle

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Bananas. As someone who suffers from seasickness quite badly even after several days at sea, i can confirm that bananas really do taste the same on the way back.
Oh and plain couscous. That last eventually stays down by the way. Corned beef definitely doesn't
 
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