RichardS
N/A
Having spent the last week working on the boat (installing solar panels, changing secondary engine filters, re-greasing water pumps, servicing winches, general cleaning and fettling etc) we decided to take a trip to the islands today. Good weather forecast meant that a night or two at anchor would be a good start to the season and a good test of all the systems including the new panels.
We've not been able to get the genoa out of the forecabin this week because the wind in the marina has been from behind the boat and that makes it difficult to hoist with just the two of us, so the plan was to motor for 2.5 hours to a nice sandy anchorage to test the engines, set up the genoa tonight or tomorrow whilst we are at anchor facing into the breeze and then sail back in a couple of days.
Before we left at 12:30 today we filled up with fuel (263 litres) and I checked all the systems ..... navigation, windlass etc and everything worked perfectly ..... especially the windlass which I ran up and down a few times to be sure.
So off we go happily into the sun, a triumph of hope over experience.
The 15kt wind is dead behind us and everything is going like clockwork and at 3:00 pm and 20 miles later we pull into our little bay and Sally goes up to the bow to drop the anchor. After a few seconds she calls back "nothing is happening". I say "its fine, I only tested in a couple of hours ago". She replies, it's not fine, it's buggered". I check the overload trip and it's all OK so I go forward to try it myself. A click from the solenoid (which I only replaced a a couple of years ago) and that's it.
What to do? Drop the anchor manually now and haul up a 25kg anchor on 35m of 10mm chain in a day or two if I can't fix it without parts ..... or turn around and motor back to the marina. OK, it's a no brainer ..... and we're on our way back and still no head sail!
We arrive back and I say "Well, at least the engines are both running beautifully but I'll just check them to see if everything is OK". I open the starboard engine hatch and everything looks good. I open up the port hatch and there's water everywhere! WTF is going on. I taste the water and it's seawater. A quick look at the just-serviced water pump and everything looks fine. I start up the engine and can immediately see the water spraying out of the long concertina rubber exhaust hose which runs from the water trap over the engine and down to the skin fitting.
What a farce. The boat was only built in 2008 and I would have thought that these heavy duty rubber hoses would last longer than 9 years but there you go .... yet another job to add to the list.
Richard
Almost forgot the one good thing .... a lovely cloud formation that was tubular like a long cigar stretching across the horizon. It didn't last long before it broke into windblown pieces.
We've not been able to get the genoa out of the forecabin this week because the wind in the marina has been from behind the boat and that makes it difficult to hoist with just the two of us, so the plan was to motor for 2.5 hours to a nice sandy anchorage to test the engines, set up the genoa tonight or tomorrow whilst we are at anchor facing into the breeze and then sail back in a couple of days.
Before we left at 12:30 today we filled up with fuel (263 litres) and I checked all the systems ..... navigation, windlass etc and everything worked perfectly ..... especially the windlass which I ran up and down a few times to be sure.
So off we go happily into the sun, a triumph of hope over experience.
The 15kt wind is dead behind us and everything is going like clockwork and at 3:00 pm and 20 miles later we pull into our little bay and Sally goes up to the bow to drop the anchor. After a few seconds she calls back "nothing is happening". I say "its fine, I only tested in a couple of hours ago". She replies, it's not fine, it's buggered". I check the overload trip and it's all OK so I go forward to try it myself. A click from the solenoid (which I only replaced a a couple of years ago) and that's it.
What to do? Drop the anchor manually now and haul up a 25kg anchor on 35m of 10mm chain in a day or two if I can't fix it without parts ..... or turn around and motor back to the marina. OK, it's a no brainer ..... and we're on our way back and still no head sail!
We arrive back and I say "Well, at least the engines are both running beautifully but I'll just check them to see if everything is OK". I open the starboard engine hatch and everything looks good. I open up the port hatch and there's water everywhere! WTF is going on. I taste the water and it's seawater. A quick look at the just-serviced water pump and everything looks fine. I start up the engine and can immediately see the water spraying out of the long concertina rubber exhaust hose which runs from the water trap over the engine and down to the skin fitting.
What a farce. The boat was only built in 2008 and I would have thought that these heavy duty rubber hoses would last longer than 9 years but there you go .... yet another job to add to the list.
Richard
Almost forgot the one good thing .... a lovely cloud formation that was tubular like a long cigar stretching across the horizon. It didn't last long before it broke into windblown pieces.
Last edited:
