Xenopus
New member
Hi everyone,
Its not often I post but its been an odd season so far, but with a happy ending I hope. Here's what's happened. Had taken the boat out a few times at the start of the season when that nice JB man came down to do a fitting for new canvas. Started Mananan and turned her around to come alongside a convenient pontoon and smelled oil. Tied up, looked in bilge and one engine's worth of brown icky stuff is sitting there. Called engineer who came immediately, massive leak from the very back of port engine - totally inaccessible. Boat out, engines out (decided to bring forward major overhaul that we were going to do in the winter since it had to come out anyway). All going fine, leak sorted and all replacement bits for the overhaul obtained, engines in bits when call from engineer - broken his wrist in three places undoing a recalcitrant water pump. He would not be able to re-assemble Mananan for 12 weeks but suggested he would tell me what to do if I was willing to do it. My only engineering experience is genetic but the thought of a summer boatless spurred me into getting down and dirty with the black monsters and (with help from the engineer's son and a big crane) we managed to get her back together and amazingly she is now running better than ever!!
We've been out for the last few weekends but the really happy ending was on Wednesday night when we went out without the littluns and really openned her up and threw her around - lovely ( and clean bilges at the end of it thank goodness). Followed by a great meal at the Folly (included round of applause from yacht next to which we moored, not sure if it was for the brilliance of boat control (?) or because we switched the engines off and quiet was restored to the Medina). Coming back was probably the calmest I've ever seen the Solent and going up the Hamble it was like a mirror - beautiful reflections all round and the purr of the V8s in the background. It made all the hassle and cost worth it.
Have also learned what most of the engine bit do!!!
Hope you're all having a great season,
Matt
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Its not often I post but its been an odd season so far, but with a happy ending I hope. Here's what's happened. Had taken the boat out a few times at the start of the season when that nice JB man came down to do a fitting for new canvas. Started Mananan and turned her around to come alongside a convenient pontoon and smelled oil. Tied up, looked in bilge and one engine's worth of brown icky stuff is sitting there. Called engineer who came immediately, massive leak from the very back of port engine - totally inaccessible. Boat out, engines out (decided to bring forward major overhaul that we were going to do in the winter since it had to come out anyway). All going fine, leak sorted and all replacement bits for the overhaul obtained, engines in bits when call from engineer - broken his wrist in three places undoing a recalcitrant water pump. He would not be able to re-assemble Mananan for 12 weeks but suggested he would tell me what to do if I was willing to do it. My only engineering experience is genetic but the thought of a summer boatless spurred me into getting down and dirty with the black monsters and (with help from the engineer's son and a big crane) we managed to get her back together and amazingly she is now running better than ever!!
We've been out for the last few weekends but the really happy ending was on Wednesday night when we went out without the littluns and really openned her up and threw her around - lovely ( and clean bilges at the end of it thank goodness). Followed by a great meal at the Folly (included round of applause from yacht next to which we moored, not sure if it was for the brilliance of boat control (?) or because we switched the engines off and quiet was restored to the Medina). Coming back was probably the calmest I've ever seen the Solent and going up the Hamble it was like a mirror - beautiful reflections all round and the purr of the V8s in the background. It made all the hassle and cost worth it.
Have also learned what most of the engine bit do!!!
Hope you're all having a great season,
Matt
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