The Chewed Gum Conundrum

First, let’s rewind a bit. Our setting is Guaymas, in the midst of the bustling boatyard, where our spirits were dampened by prolonged frustrations. The anticipated three-week stay had overstretched, turning the drive shaft project into a relentless ordeal, akin to an over-chewed piece of gum – tough and lacking any semblance of pleasure. David had mentioned in his latest blog post about our urgent need for new engine mounts. Fortunately, we swiftly located a supplier, though the delivery was less than swift.

Batteries and Breakthroughs

On a brighter note, we achieved a significant milestone: the successful installation and commissioning of our new lithium batteries, specifically lithium iron phosphate ones. This task was not without its tedium, necessitating meticulous testing of each battery before installation. The advantages, however, were numerous: significantly reduced size and weight, deeper discharge capabilities, and no daily full charging required. To illustrate, our three former AGM batteries collectively tipped the scales at 210 kg (460 lbs) with a usable capacity of 380 Ah out of 765 Ah. In contrast, our trio of new lithium batteries weighs a mere 66 kg (145 lbs) while offering a usable capacity of 410 Ah out of 510 Ah – a remarkable improvement.

A Humorous Tale with Batteries

We experienced a rather amusing incident involving our batteries. Prior to our summer hiatus, we purchased from fellow sailors, Coy and Kalina, two batteries which they had only used for a few months. However, during our testing phase, one of the batteries exhibited unexpected behaviour. We promptly informed Coy about the issue, and he planned to file a warranty claim with Renogy. As we had not received any updates from him during our stay in Switzerland, we decided to order a new battery. Coincidentally, there was a promotional offer: ‘buy one, get a second at 50% discount’, prompting us to buy two batteries instead of one.

An Abundance of Batteries

Shortly after our purchase, Coy sent us an image of the brand-new replacement battery he received through the warranty claim. This was a pleasant surprise. Further, we later discovered that the ‘faulty’ battery was, in fact, in good working condition. Thus, we unexpectedly found ourselves with a total of five batteries, whereas we initially wanted only two. Fortunately, serendipity played its part when another sailor in the boatyard expressed a need for two lithium batteries. Hence, two of our excess batteries found a new home just a couple of boats away.

Revived and Resplendent

Master painter David, responsible for our deck’s fresh coat, also remedied some paint damage on the freeboard caused by the Travelift’s straps and another mysterious source. The result? Milagros was now gleaming, arguably the most stunning vessel in the vicinity, a sentiment we proudly shared.

Quest for an Outboard Engine

While awaiting engine parts, we ventured to Puerto Peñasco for an outboard motor. In May, we had seized the opportunity to replace our ailing inflatable dinghy with a more robust plastic sailing dinghy. This upgrade offered numerous benefits: lighter weight, no air loss, easier rowing, and sail capability. However, its lightness meant limited stern weight capacity. Our trusty 4 HP four-stroke, weighing nearly 30 kg (60 lbs), was too hefty, prompting the need for a lighter alternative. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a perfect fit in Peñasco: a 13 kg (29 lbs), 3.3 HP two-stroke.

An Unplanned Road Trip

The dilemma was transporting the outboard motor 600 km back to Guaymas. Thus, we decided to retrieve the outboard ourselves. Joined by Pete from SV Swan Song, awaiting his deck’s painting, we embarked on an impromptu road trip, armed with snacks and tunes.

Dodging Potholes

Opting for toll roads to avoid the infamous potholes of the alternative route – rumored to be 5 m (15 ft) wide and 2 m (7 ft) deep – we successfully navigated around the lesser but still treacherous potholes off the toll roads.

A Whirlwind of Activities

David, adept at securing Airbnbs, found us delightful beachside accommodation, which unexpectedly got upgraded to a beachfront house. Though our time to bask in this luxury was limited, given our jam-packed schedule: picking up the outboard, reuniting with old friends, showing Pete around, indulging in the finest Pastor Tacos, and more, all within less than 24 hours.

A Fortuitous Turn

Our afternoon arrival in Puerto Peñasco, followed by the collection of the outboard and check-in, was met with an intriguing proposition by the landlord. Originally planning to return to Guaymas the next morning, his offer to extend our stay for free, due to sparse tourism, was an unexpected boon. This stroke of luck for us, though unfortunate for the locals, was a result of a recently closed border crossing north of Puerto Peñasco.

The Quiet Town

The border guards there had been withdrawn to assist with surging asylum claims from refugees from Central and South America and African countries like Eritrea, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. This shift, following the repeal of Trumps ‘Title 42’ in May, reinstated the right to asylum procedures for those setting foot on US soil.

Extended Leisure

With the beach, restaurants, and city almost to ourselves, we decided to indulge in an extra night. After all, there was ‘nothing’ pressing back on Milagros. A quick call extended our car rental, making the extra day possible.

Familiar Faces and Fond Memories

Back at the Cabrales Boatyard, we were greeted by more familiar faces than anticipated. Our encounters spanned numerous sailors, each exchange filled with stories and updates since we left Peñasco in February 2022. The camaraderie and sense of community were palpable, almost overwhelming in its warmth.

A Sense of Home

The boatyard, with its familiar faces, favourite eateries, and overall ambience, evoked a sense of home. In the spirit of being in the shrimp capital, we procured a kilo from our trusted fishmonger, planning a garlic butter feast for dinner, much to Pete’s anticipation.

The Last Gringos

Our day unfolded with moderate culinary delights, the world’s best donuts from Candy Cake, a serene beach stroll, and a visit to the deserted Malécon. The closed border had rendered Puerto Peñasco a ghost town, a situation we found appealing yet bittersweet for the locals. An encounter with a local, who jokingly dubbed us ‘the last gringos’, led to a heartfelt conversation about the prevailing uncertainty. He and his girlfriend, working in a pharmacy and a restaurant, respectively, were directly affected by the downturn. His parting offer of a significant discount on medicines and sunglasses was both generous and telling of the situation.

The Shrimp Fiasco

Our afternoon snack at Pane y Vino, boasting Mexico’s finest Pizza Margherita, preluded our evening plans. Aftera farewell drink on SV Lodos and a visit to SV Liquid we went back to our beach house for the shrimp dinner.

Unfortunately, the shrimps’ odd smell, initially dismissed by the crew, turned out to be a tell-tale sign of spoilage, confirmed by an unpleasant ammonia scent upon cooking. The meal was a bust, but the seagulls reaped the benefits of our misfortune. Thankfully, our earlier snack lessened the disappointment.

A Satisfying Conclusion

Our final day began with a return to the boatyard, heartfelt farewells, and a last indulgence in Candy Cake’s Apple Fritters. Our timely return of the rental car in Guaymas and some yummy pastor tacos marked the end of a memorable and largely successful excursion, a reminder that sometimes, things indeed fall pleasantly into place.

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Der Beitrag The Last Gringos: A Voyage to Beginnings erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Boats don’t like being out of the water. In the water they are in their element, where they belong. Jacked up on the dry dock, Milagros showed various side effects of her dreary existence. The wood in the cabin was particularly affected. More and more cracks were appearing. Our wooden floor in particular had suffered, and the constant, light treatment with all the sand had taken the shine off it. We also caused a few extra dents here and there. Mostly from falling parts and tools.

Sand, dust and dirt

We don’t really need to say anything about the deck. At some point we just gave up on constantly removing the dust, sand and dirt. We could have scrubbed the deck every week. We just had to close both eyes; we’ll have enough time to clean it once back in the water. The problem is not necessarily the sand on the deck, but that the small particles get stuck in all the winches, blocks, cranks and rollers. These are mostly small, complex mechanical mechanisms that absolutely cannot cope with sand and dirt and can even be damaged as a result.

We finally want to get away

It was time to leave the Cabrales boatyard. Slowly but surely, we’ve had enough. Milagros must finally sail away. Everything was ready for splashing, the engine was running again, the last inspection with Marga had revealed nothing problematic. We watched the weather to choose the calmest day possible. When the weather window was there, we sent a message to yard manager Salvador that we could launch. Shortly before, Craig had returned from the USA to his sky-blue sailing boat “Small World” and had kindly agreed to help us with the launch and the short drive to the marina.

Cabrales professional skater

We knew the procedure very well, as we had already helped a few other sailboats with the splashing. First, the workers load the boat onto the “skateboard”. This extremely manoeuvrable little vehicle is used to move and park the boats in the tightest of spaces in the boatyard. The big “travelift” is responsible for launching the boats, and in its slings hang all our belongings, our work, our money and our dreams on a regular basis. Carlos and Marcial are the responsible lift pilots and do a really good job. I don’t want to reveal too much about the travelift itself, but it remains to be seen how regularly and well the thing is maintained. So, eyes closed and through. We had no other choice anyway.

We leave our corner

As Milagros slowly rolled away on the skateboard, we had certainty. We were now leaving our corner at the Cabrales boatyard. Maybe for good, who knows. The day before we had tidied up as best, we could, but all sorts of stuff was left behind. Most of it had been installed by our previous owner and we have now torn it out again. A lot of it is still usable. That’s why we didn’t want to just throw it away. The bronze of the old seacocks and thru hulls and the stainless steel of the water tanks, for example, have already aroused the eagerness of the workers. Without further ado, I cut a few “fillet pieces” out of the tanks. These remain on the boat. As we all know, a bit of good stainless steel never hurts.

The time has come

In our company, Milagros slowly moved towards the slings of the big crane. An imposing sight. So much time, so much work. And now what we had waited so long for was becoming a reality. She was going into the water. Crazy. My nervousness was surprisingly contained. It could only go wrong. I had full confidence in what we were doing, the engine had always started without a problem on a few more test runs. The only worry I had in the back of my mind was the old thru hulls that we hadn’t replaced or removed. We could only hope that the sun, the dryness, the heat, and the sandblasting of the hull had not caused any damage. But we had no control over that.

We are in the slings

After a short ride on the skateboard, Milagros was jacked up again and then loaded onto the travelift she had been hanging from the year before when she came out of the water. Dangling in the slings, she started moving with the travelift towards the water. Halfway there, we crossed the road through the boatyard. Drivers are always amazed when they have to stop for a boat. Mobile phones are pulled out, photos are taken. And soon Milagros was hovering over the water. Halfway down into the harbour basin, Pati, Craig and I climbed aboard. There was no turning back now. The workers lowered Milagros completely into the water. And indeed: Milagros can still do it! She swam as if she had never done anything else in the meantime. That was good.

Last checks before departure

The engine started without any problems and in no time our newly installed rawwater intake was spraying water out of the exhaust that it was a joy. Yeeesss! Now it was time to check if all our old and new installations were watertight. And what a relief: not a single drop of water far and wide! Not with the new water supply for our engine, not with the brand-new shaft seal, not with our newly installed thru hulls and not with the old ones either. We were able to leave!!! Back on deck, thumbs up to the travelift crew and all the helpers and then we could say goodbye to Cabrales boatyard. Finally!!!

Beer at the dock

At the jetty in the marina, Marc and Laura from SV Liquid were already waiting for us and took up our lines. And then there she was: tied up, water all around, our Milagros. So beautiful! And how happy we were after all the strain and worry lines that everything had gone so smoothly. Quickly we went to the fridge, got some beer and toasted. We skilfully overlooked the fact that our waterline could easily have been 10 cm higher. So, it really happened. We are in the water! Who would have thought it?

Thank you very much!

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Der Beitrag Finally in the water!!! erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Known problems

We had helped launch several boats before and knew from experience that two things in particular could cause problems: leaking thru hulls and disobedient engines. With the former, we couldn’t do much more than order new thru hulls and fast cure sealant, just in case. For the latter, we wanted to do an engine test on the hard. We had always shied away from that, because the engine was still a kind of black box for us. You supply it with water, oil and diesel, turn the key, then water and exhaust gases come out the back and the propeller turns. Could be easy, right? But it just had to be done. After all, we didn’t want to be stuck in the slings and not be able to take off just because – because what, actually?

Holding hands

As Rob and Sarah’s departure with SV Mapache was delayed (they had to wait for spare parts for their freshly overhauled engine), we asked Rob to help us with the engine check. He had completely disassembled and reassembled his engine, so he was the perfect man for the job. Soon after, the time had come. We filled two big barrels with water and got a hose so that the water cooling of the engine could do its magic. Actually, we could have run the engine from our internal water tank. The new sea cock has two inlets: one for fresh water and one for raw water. But our engine needs about 10 gallons (about 40 litres) of water per minute, so our 42 gallons don’t really go very far.

We are ready

Before we started the test, we strenghtened ourselves with apple fritters from Candy Cake, which Rob had brought for our peace of mind, or maybe just because they’re the best in town. Afterwards Sarah and Doug posted themselves down by the barrels to secure the water supply. David took over the key, I was down by the engine and Rob stood with us in the cockpit. I was quite nervous because a major problem with the engine could delay the launch by weeks or even months.

Top or flop?

When David turned the key, the engine immediately started and purred. And we cheered. But it was too easy to be true: a short time later, the engine simply stopped. With diesel engines, there is usually only one reason for this: no diesel. This can be due to clogged filters, closed taps, air in the system or empty tanks, among other things. So, we filled both tanks with 5 gallons of diesel each (about 20 litres), checked all the taps to see if they were really open, and checked the filters. Then we had to bleed the engine. David already had experience with this, because on the trip to Peñasco the Milagros crew had already had to do the whole procedure once.

The air must come out

We consulted the engine manual and opened all the bleed screws, one by one. Somehow, we couldn’t find one of them, and although we sprayed WD40 into the air filter as a starting aid, the engine wouldn’t start. There was air in the diesel system and we couldn’t get it out. After a few hours of unsuccessful attempts, we gave up and treated ourselves to tacos. Also, another new problem appeared: the threads for the bleed screw on the aluminium cover of the diesel injection pump were stripped. It is actually a banjo bolt, i.e., 2 bolts inside each other, the smaller of the two being used for venting. However, judging by the condition of the threads, the larger of the two was always (more often) used in the past, which eventually led to the threads now being stripped.

Different possibilities

As the injection pump is the heart of the engine, pumping diesel at high pressure into the injectors, a solid solution was needed. We started looking at different possibilities, researching on the internet and finding spare parts mainly in England, as our engine itself is English. I was a little annoyed that I had ordered a complete set of gaskets for the engine in England only a few days ago and they were already on their way. But well.

Three options on the short list

1. Press the bleeding screw into the hole with Quick Steel, a two-component epoxy putty, and tighten it there for good. Since it is a banjo screw, the smaller, inner screw would still be able to move. But this would have been a temporary solution, simply to allow Milagros to splash and properly address the problem later.
2. Order a new cover and replace it. This would have taken 1 – 4 weeks, depending on where you ordered it, and would have cost about 120$.
3. Have the entire injection pump removed and rebuilt. This would have taken at least 4 weeks and cost about 400$.

Hive mind

With the help of the hive mind (a running gag in the boatyard, you ask the “collective memory” for advice), some discussions and an unexpected surprise, we decided on option 2. As luck would have it, we found a complete injection pump in the depths of our spare parts storage. Together with a YouTube video of a beardy Australian tractor mechanic, we took this pump apart for practice. And we came to the conclusion that it should be possible to remove and re-install this cover. We skilfully ignored the seals and the advice not to tamper with it ourselves.

Viva Mexico

Before we ordered the new cover from England, we asked our friend Lionel from the Caterpillar shop if he could get one too. 3 days later we had a new cover including seals for 30$ in our hands. Viva Mexico! David removed the old cover, then we disassembled it into its individual parts and mounted them all on the new, freshly sprayed white cover. And then I mounted the new cover.

Cover on

Of course, it was not as easy as with the practice model – both attaching and removing the cover. The biggest challenge was to hook the big spring inside into the right hole. And not losing the small pin and its spring, and, if possible, not letting any dirt or foreign objects fall into the pump. And all this overhead and with the wrong hand. The little pin with the spring did indeed come loose – we found the spring right away in the bilge, but not the pin. So, we just took the pin from the old pump and postponed the search for the pin until later. In the end, the cover was on after all.

Almost successful

Before we tested the engine again, this time together with Mat, we ran the diesel from both tanks through the filters to get any air out. But even after several bleeds, the engine wouldn’t start. Finally, we found the last bleed screw and with the help of starter spray the engine finally started. Unfortunately, our water barrel idea didn’t work, so we ran it over our internal water tank for a few minutes. Yay! But unfortunately, we had a new problem: a leak at the compression fitting of a diesel line at one of the injectors. But the solution to this problem was to be a problem of future Milagros. At least the engine ran!

Hello gooseneck

After three long months of waiting, we finally received word that our new gooseneck had been shipped. Finally, the last piece of the puzzle was on its way to us. When we held it in our hands, it was clear that the manufacturer had screwed up – again! The new piece was as long as it was supposed to be wide and the other way round. Once again, it was not what we wanted. However, after getting some professional advice, we decided to fit the gooseneck as it was and make the boat fit once again, rather than the other way round. At least we got the money back. But we would have preferred to have had a gooseneck that actually fits.

3 times longer

The installation took 3 days. We had to drill 26 holes, tap threads into the holes and insert metal threads called helicoils. Unfortunately, the helicoils we had didn’t fit and the insertion tool also gave up the ghost. So, we had to order new matching helicoils and a new tool to Lukeville at the US border. The next day we drove there with Doug and crossed the border into the USA for the first time since the travel ban was lifted on 8 November. The entry procedure took an eternity, and the border official – who was still learning the ropes – stapled the visa directly onto the first page of our passports. But our mission was successful, and the very next day we were able to assemble the gooseneck and put the boom back up.

Woodwork

There was also some carpentry work on the schedule. I built wooden boxes for our new storage space under the galley and David painted them white. Also, the bottom of one of the sliding doors in the engine room was splintered and needed a new piece of wood, which we had made at a carpentry shop around the corner. Smoothly working through the to-do list was fun.

Superstition?

Together with Marga from Dogfish Boatworks we did a pre-splash check and inspected Milagros from bow to stern. We found a few things that needed tweaking later, but Milagros was now ready for launching. One of the things we did while waiting for a suitable weather window was to paint our name on the wall in the Cruisers Lounge. They say that if you don’t do that, you’ll have problems when splashing. And we didn’t want to risk that under any circumstances. So, we got a projector and David painted our logo on the wall. With black Totalboat paint, haha.

Comet observation

We also took the unique opportunity to observe comet Leonard. The last time it passed the earth was 80’000 years ago and the next time it will do so in about 70’000 years. Armed with binoculars, we went to the beach and searched the evening sky to the west. It should be visible on the right above the horizon in the extension of the axis of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. And indeed, we saw the greenish flashing comet slowly moving across the sky. A true ‘once in a lifetime’ experience. And we were so ready to leave the boatyard by water – once and for all!

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Der Beitrag We’re Diesel Mechanics Now! erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

There was a special date recently: 20 November was not only David’s birthday, but also the anniversary of Milagros’ haul out in Puerto Peñasco. We had always hoped that David could spend his birthday somewhere on a nice beach. Unfortunately, this was not the case. So, we planned a camping trip for his birthday instead. We loaded Dogfish Marga’s truck with camping gear, food, beer, firewood and Cabralians, then we drove a little way out of Peñasco to the seafront. There we set up camp and lit a small campfire. With a view of Puerto Peñasco at night, we barbecued. The resolution not to talk about boat projects was broken in no time. There is no other way: cruisers just want to philosophise about materials, technology and challenges.

The night brain

We also had an interesting discussion about the ‘night brain’. This is when you wake up in the middle of the night or can’t fall asleep and your brain starts rummaging through boat projects, to-do lists, experiences and memories, usually bringing up all kinds of irrational fears and worries. Everyone in the group had already made acquaintance with their night brain. We toasted to our night brains and enjoyed Candy Cake’s birthday cake. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to organise candles. But then, you don’t blow out candles in these covidy times, do you? We recovered from the far too noisy boatyard under a starry sky, only the sound of the sea in our ears and the wind in our hair. And then, on a far too hard floor with far too thin sleeping mats we slipped into the night.

Last-minute adjustments

Back on the boat, however, we immediately had to get back to work, because the next day our mast was to be stepped. We had already fitted the new rigging and wrapped it in plastic to protect it from dirt. The lights had passed their function test and the radar was in place. We had also cleaned the aluminium rails in which the sails are hoisted. Everything was ready. Jamie from SV Totem took the time to come by and check our work.

Fortunately, there was no “it doesn’t work like that”, but “just” a few suggestions for improvement, a few of which we implemented. One of them was to use plastic spacers between the tangs to ensure the correct angle of the rigging when tensioning. As we didn’t have any suitable spacers to hand, we got ourselves plastic cutting boards (unfortunately there were no white ones), made some ourselves with a hole saw and drill and mounted them. Then nothing stood in the way of putting up the mast.

We get help

We had organised a few helpers to assist us with yet another visual inspection and to prepare everything so that the workers could attach the crane to the mast. And of course, also to support us mentally. Because if something goes wrong, it can be very troublesome and also expensive. Thanks again to Doug, Paul and Hazel!

Where is the hydraulic oil?

Of course, the whole procedure was not without a typically Mexican incident. When the mast was halfway up on deck on the crane, suddenly the whole action came to a full stop. A short time later, the boss of the boatyard showed up and said that new hydraulic oil was already on its way and would arrive “ahorita” (Spanish for “soon”). What had happened? When the crane was extended, all the hydraulic oil had been pumped into the hoses, and since the crane had an oil leak, at some point there was no longer enough oil to continue lifting the mast.

Ahorita?

So, our mast was hanging in the ropes for about half an hour. And we just hoped that the oil pressure wouldn’t collapse in the meantime and that the new oil would really be there right away. Because by now we know what the Mexican “ahorita” really means. It can mean “in 5 minutes”, or “in an hour”, or “if I can make it in time”. Just as “mañana” (Spanish for “tomorrow”) means “not today, but maybe tomorrow or the day after or sometime”. That’s how it goes around here. The oil did indeed arrive within a very short time and the mast was successfully erected. Once the mast was supported on all four sides, a boatyard worker could climb the mast and unhook the crane. All’s well that ends well.

Another milestone

One halyard (a line used to hoist a sail up the mast) didn’t make it to the right side of a spreader, and in the evening, when we tested the lights again, we found that the LED bulb of the navigation light was inserted 180° the wrong way round. That is annoying. Anyway, we still have to climb the mast to mount the anemometers on the masthead. Why did we not mount them right away, you might ask? There is always the risk that the top of the mast touches the crane and the instruments are damaged. That’s what happened to us, and we were glad we hadn’t mounted anything up there just yet. Nevertheless, another milestone had been reached and we duly toasted to it. Milagros finally looks like a real sailboat again.

Drive shaft reassembly

The last part we needed to reassemble our drive shaft had arrived at the border. It had turned out that the shaft seal I had ordered in August didn’t fit. I don’t know what I had measured then, but we had to send it back and order the right one. Then we were ready for the assembly. We soaped the shaft so as not to damage the cutless bearing on the outside of the boat. Then we pushed the shaft into the stern tube.

On the inside of the boat, we first fixed the shaft seal in place, then we put the shaft into the pillow block bearing and finally we pushed the shaft coupling onto the shaft. On the other end of the drive shaft came the propeller and a sacrificial anode. Last but not least, we installed the water lubrication for the shaft seal, for which we divert some water from the engine cooling system to lubricate it.

Engine alignment

Last but not least, the engine had to be realigned. Incorrect alignment can lead to a variety of undesirable events, from excessive vibration and fuel consumption to bearing or shaft failure. For the shaft to be centered in the stern tube, the position of the motor had to be changed quite a bit. To achieve perfect centring, we would have had to move the motor about 1 cm to starboard. That would have meant an enormous effort. So we decided to do the best we could without having to drill new holes for the engine mount. Nevertheless, we had to raise the engine by about 1 cm.

Good enough

We think the alignment of the engine between the transmission output coupling and the shaft coupling is good enough now. Good enough to put it in the water and then adjust it again after a few days in the water, if necessary. How good our alignment is will only be seen again when the blade bearing is in good condition the next time we haul out. We can also keep an eye on developments with regular dives for close inspection.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was also just around the corner. Pete from SV Mazu had booked a table at a restaurant near the boatyard. On the menu was a typical Thanksgiving lunch. The meal looked like an everyday lunch back home: Mashed potatoes and turkey in cream sauce, served with red cabbage and peas and carrots. For dessert we had a Pumpkin Spice Panna Cotta. Very tasty! A few other sailors had organised a potluck in the evening and we contributed to the buffet with a homemade apple pie. Afterwards, we all sat around the fire and were collectively grateful for everything we have.

Moving on with projects

Another step towards making Milagros ready for her big day were the last two coats of antifouling, for which we chose to go with Pettit Premium HRT. We were really looking forward to the painting. Firstly, because painting the antifouling is usually one of the last official acts before splashing. And secondly, because Milagros’ appearance would be complete afterwards. And she looks really great now! All that’s really missing now is the boom fitting, which we’ve been waiting for for 3 months. We think it will be there ‘mañana’.

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Cheeeeeeers!

Der Beitrag What ‘Mañana’ Really Means erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

We have reached a big milestone with the completion of the painting of the freeboard. A never-ending Sisyphean task that actually did only one thing: strain our nerves. But now we could almost leave these strains behind us. All that was missing was Milagros’ name on the hull. The ordering process for the three vinyl stickers was extremely tedious. Because just when we wanted to order, the website had technical problems. But the very nice and competent customer service of signs.com fixed everything for us. A few days later, we held the lettering in our hands. We had expected a little less swearing when sticking them on, but we were very happy with the result. Cheers!

Hello dear anchor windlass

The assembly of the boat could continue. Finally, we could mount the backstay chain plate and prepare everything for stepping the mast. The anchor and chain, which had been stored on a pallet next to the boat for months, could also be returned. To do this, I had to replace a rusted nut on the windlass so that the electrical contact would work properly. Unfortunately, a piece of plastic broke off in the process, causing the whole thread to turn. I knew immediately that this did not bode well. At the beginning of the year, I would have been helpless. But now, without further ado, I unscrewed the motor’s housing and discovered the problem myself. The copper wire of the grounding had broken off and had to be soldered back on. In addition, the broken piece of plastic had fallen into the motor and had to be removed.

A damaged toe

Since we had already had problems with this motor last year, we knew immediately what had to be done: pump out the gear oil, unscrew the motor and take it to a workshop. One day later and 25 dollars poorer, we had a working windlass motor again. We also took the opportunity to change the oil. But the beautiful new oil leaked onto our deck through a seal that was no longer tight. When I discovered it and wanted to show David, I stubbed the little toe of my right foot on the railing. The sound was not good. It is possible that my little toe is broken now. I don’t know. Or maybe it’s just sprained. Whatever it is, it’s unnecessary and it hurts.

Surprise

At least we were able to close the oil leak and finally pull in the anchor. “Unfortunately”, we tested the anchor locker drain beforehand and found that something was wrong. The water was not draining out. A closer look (= clearing out the entire front cabin) showed that the whole construction was suboptimal and could cause wet feet in the worst case.

A boat for sale

It was simply unbelievable. For a brief moment we considered putting the boat up for sale. How many well-intentioned but not well-thought-out installations do we have to find? It is really bloodcurdling at times. It looks like we can make the drain safe without any major problems. But we’ll see if it’s really that easy.

Fishing in Peñasco

Two of the yard workers wanted to go fishing on a Sunday afternoon and we wanted to join them. But since we couldn’t organise a four-wheel drive vehicle, it didn’t work out. However, Dave had received a tip about a good fishing spot a few days earlier. Equipped with fishing gear for Dave and a book for me, we drove instead to a nearby car park and walked the last 2 km along the beach (my foot was still fine at this point). Our destination was the rocky coast at La Choya. I hadn’t even finished reading the first page when David hooked his first fish. A sand perch was probably in the mood for crab tails.

Fresh dinner

As we didn’t have a cooler with us, David released it in a small tide pool. A short time later David caught a colleague or relative of sand perch No. 1 and we decided that this was enough fish for both of us. David cleaned the fish on the spot and we walked back to the car. At home we filleted them and processed them into ceviche. We mixed the fillets cut into small pieces with chopped cucumber, tomatoes and onions, added orange and lime juice and let the whole thing steep in the fridge for a few hours. The delicious dinner was ready. A few days later, David went fishing again on his own and brought back a corvina, which we fried in one piece.

A sewing extravaganza

We also ticked something important (but not actually urgent) off our still-long list of projects: protective covers. On our new Singer sewing machine from SV Alegría, I sewed protective covers out of black nylon fleece we found in a fabric shop here in town. These mainly serve to protect our new paint job. But they are also something for the eye. Our fenders are already a bit older and worn and have different colours. Now they all have a nice black pyjama.

A dream

For the somewhat thicker, UV-resistant fabric we had intended for hatch protectors etc., the Singer sewing machine was not enough. So, we borrowed a Sailrite sewing machine from SV Susimi, which can also be used to sew sails. Sewing with this machine was really fun and in no time at all I had made covers for the hatches, propane bottles, diesel canisters and the windlass. I’ve been contemplating a machine like this for a long time, but the new one costs over $1,200. It also weighs around 50 lbs and has to be stowed somewhere on the boat. Let’s see.

We are visible

In the meantime, David has installed our new radio with AIS function (Automatic Identification System). This means that in future we will be able to be seen by other ships, especially tankers, and also see the positions of other boats – if they also have AIS. The nice thing about it is that it also includes a collision alarm, which is especially helpful when sailing at night. Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep an eye out for other vessels at night, because not every barge is equipped with AIS. We had to upgrade our radio antenna for this, as the AIS requires additional frequencies.

Biker Week

You may remember that at Easter we were advised to leave town because of the noise, because so many people come to Peñasco and they party all night long. There is another such weekend: Bike Week. This year, over 10,000 bikers were expected. From Thursday to Saturday, all hell broke loose here. The whole party mile was closed to traffic in the evening and there were concerts, parties, parades and whatever else makes a biker’s heart beat faster. As the boatyard is located directly on this party mile, the noise at night was hard to miss. Before Corona, we would probably have thrown ourselves into the fray, but we don’t want to take any risks here.

Nice stainless

A highlight of Bike Week was the exhibition of award-winning bikes and the subsequent bike parade through the city. We marvelled at the two- and three-wheelers pimped out with great attention to detail and secretly wished that someone would polish the stainless steel on our boat just as beautifully.

One day

Our friends on the catamaran SV Skookum were also back at the boatyard preparing their vessel for departure. This still required the second side of the bulkhead to be glassed in. Like last time, we set up a fiberglass construction site on deck. This time it was fortunately no longer so hot and there was no rain in sight that would have jeopardised the project. We rewarded ourselves for the half day’s work with the best apple fritters in town.

Soon it was time to say goodbye to them, too. Yet another boat arrived after us and left the yard before us. Like our neighbours on SV Rua Hatu, whom we also waved goodbye to. But we too will sail away one day. One day…

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Der Beitrag Milagros, the Daughter of Sisyphus? erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Showers in the cockpit

Painting, fairing, sanding, painting etc. of the hull is in full swing at the moment, but I won’t get into the details here. In the meantime, we have also devoted ourselves to some smaller projects. For example, we installed a fresh water shower in the cockpit. For this, we had to pull a hose behind the wall panelling all the way from our water distribution to the cockpit. And now we can give ourselves a fresh water rinse in the cockpit. We also replaced the hose for the water supply of the new water tank, as algae had formed in the hose and was floating in the tank after every filling. The replacement was not as easy as expected. Our neighbours on SV Rua Hatu could hear the searing all the way outside. Only on the fourth try did it work. It was definitely a waste of life time.

Our Bimini

You may remember that a new Bimini was also on our top 5 project list. We didn’t manage to get an appointment with the welder for 9 months. We had already written off this project when suddenly a new opportunity arose. Our exhaust manifold (where the exhaust meets the cooling water) needed a hairline crack welded. Dave just messaged the welder and to our surprise he was on the boat 30 minutes later. This was our chance, and we immediately took it and got a quote from him for a Bimini.

It’s a go

We agreed with the price and a few days later we ordered the material; now he is working on it. Since Marga already has a Bimini on SV Dogfish, he was able to take measurements there and didn’t have to reinvent the wheel Bimini. We also have him make new chain plate covers from our old water tanks. These protect the sealant from UV radiation and help keep everything tight. This is now the second project, besides the mast top mount, to be created from the old tanks.

Are we there yet?

And when the last layer of top coat is sprayed on the freeboard, we have to wait at least 2 weeks until the paint has cured enough to keep up with the travelift slings. Then we can splash! Just like SV Cavu and SV Alegría, who we have now waved goodbye and watched sail into the sunset for the second time since we arrived. But there are still a few projects to completed before we are ready.

The mast needs to be stepped

One of the biggest projects that still needs to be done is probably putting the mast back in. The mast has been freshly painted, all the fittings are back in place and the installation at the mast head has also been completed. Together with Rob from SV Mapache, we spliced the forestay into the furling system and cleaned all the screws and bearings. Now we still have to attach the new rigging to the tangs and mount the backstay chain plate. Then we can order the crane and make the Milagros look like a sailboat again. Hopefully the whole operation is as easy as it sounds. Let’s see… Our new boom fitting is not ready yet, but we hope for the best. As soon as the mast is up again, we can drill the new holes for the boom fitting and then attach the boom.

The shaft must go back

We also have to reassemble the straightened drive shaft. The cutlass bearing has been replaced and the new shaft seal is ready. The pillow block bearing has been recast and now fits perfectly on the shaft, the coupling has been repainted and the propeller cleaned. Here, too, everything is ready. The engine now only needs an oil change and new coolant, then we can start it and see if everything is OK.

Starting the engine

Starting it on the dry dock is possible because we have just installed a fresh water inlet from our new water distribution system to the engine. This is meant to flush the salt water out of the engine when it is not used for a longer period of time. But we can also use it to test the engine on the hard. After all, we don’t want to get into the water and then find that the engine won’t start.

Beauty queen?

Milagros also gets a nice black dress aka 2-3 coats of antifouling. The red also looks good on her, but we want black! The so-called “fast stripe” that rounds off Milagros’ freeboard will also be black. We will have Pancho spray this on as well. Then all that’s left is to paint or stick-on Milagros’ name.

And then?

When we have done all that, our life on the water can begin. We think we will spend a few weeks in a marina here in Puerto Peñasco to wake Milagros from her beauty sleep. All the systems need to be checked, all the changes we have made need to be checked and more installations need to be done. Our winches and blocks need some love and the sails can be taken out and hoisted. And many other little things want to be done. And of course, we want to take Milagros for a little spin. Yes, and then?

La Paz?

Yes, then we can sail off. As it looks now, that will be around the end of November – about 6 weeks later than originally planned. Not bad, is it? My family is coming to visit over Christmas. We want to bring the two boats to La Paz for that, if possible. My sister Carmen and her boyfriend Iñaki are currently still on the hard in San Carlos (about 500 km away from us) and are continuing to renovate their Anila.

Where are we going?

So, we’re going to take a quick trip south, like we did with Ray on SV SeaNote in May. Not exactly what we had in mind after many months in the boatyard. Actually, we wanted to sail to Refugio and do nothing there for a few weeks. But we will definitely make up for that after Christmas. Besides, we don’t know yet where our journey will take us. A bit further south into the warmth or a bit further north to the places we passed. We will see.

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Der Beitrag An End In Sight erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Our first topsides paintjob obviously turned into a disaster and still haunts us. That was really a heavy blow. In the meantime, we can say with great certainty that the cause of the adhesion problems was the layer thickness of the paint. After we noticed the non-adherance of the Totalboat WetEdge paint, we did a test by applying a really thin layer of paint with the roller, which adhered really well. It was a lose-lose-lose situation. For us, for the boatyard, and also for Pancho, the worker responsible for the boats. Another boat has also been sprayed with the same one-component Totalboat one part paint in the meantime.

It depends on the thickness

Matthew, the owner, experience our ailment first hand and of course started to brood. In the end, he decided to give the WetEdge paint another chance. He instructed Pancho, the painter / sprayer of the Cabrales Boatyard, to apply the paint as thinly as possible. The same result here too: the paintjob adheres. On top of that, when I researched the Totalboat WetEdge paint, I found that most of the problems other boat owners had had to do with the thickness of the layer applied to the boat.

Our Totalboat WetEdge experience

We think, contrary to the assumption that you could simply shake a one-component paintjob off your sleeve easily, the opposite is the case. Totalboat WetEdge is anything but easy to use. It seems like everything has to be right for the paint to do its job. Temperature, humidity and, above all, the thickness of the paint layer must be meticulously observed. If you stick to these factors, you get what Totalboat promises. Regarding humidity, a criticism of the data sheets from Totalboat: They state that their paint can be processed up to 90% humidity. No type of paint in the world can be processed problem free in such an atmosphere. Enough with the moaning, we had to look ahead.

Back to zero

The paint had to come off again. So, there was only one thing to do: Getting up in the morning, podcast or music on the headphones, investing hours of sanding, sanding, sanding. The paint came off the hull easily at least, and after a few days we were back to the same level as at the beginning of the year. Our paint selection for the second attempt? Alexseal, one of the best known marine paints. A two-component paint that should stick to Milagros’ hull like a MF. Fortunately, through Marga, we got in touch with a representative of the paint, who felt so sorry for us that he gave us some of the paint for free. Thus, our financial loss was minimal, not least because Totalboat immediately refunded us the money for the failed paintjob. We were ready to start over. But there was other work to be done, too!

What does not fit is made to fit

Also, with our new titanium chainplates, everything that could go wrong had gone wrong. Didn’t get that part? Missed it? Then it is time to sign up for our newsletter and you won’t miss a thing! Long story short: We had ordered new titanium chainplates from a well-known company in the US of A. Unfortunately, the result came straight from the bottom drawer. They were too long, too thick, too thin and the holes were everywhere but not where they should be. Nevertheless, we didn’t let it get us down. With “a little” effort, we were able to fit them in anyway. Pati was busy for days adapting Milagros to the chainplates. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Hmmm. Nothing is impossible on Milagros!

Our steep learning curve

Where half a year ago we had too much respect for even loosening screws, we were now blessed with a completely different self-confidence when it came to boat work. Pati simply enlarged holes in the deck, sealed the drill holes in the hull with epoxy resin and then we drilled new ones. We adjusted the angles of the drill holes with the drill and suddenly everything was ready: Our new puttings could be installed. Let’s do this!

Fill, fit, lubricate

Now teamwork was required again. Pati on deck, me inside the boat or vice versa. We pushed the new chainplates into position through the deck, screwed them tight and then sealed the deck with Sikaflex UV 4000 sealing compound, as recommended by Jamie from SV Totem. We flood him with questions from time to time, and he always willingly answers. Many thanks for the help! As always, everything took longer than planned, was a bit more complicated than expected and a bigger mess of sealant as expected. And of course: ONE of EIGHT THIRTY damn nuts blocked itself on its bolt.ONE NUT out of THIRTY-EIGHT!

OOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE NNNNNNNNNNNNNUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTT OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTT OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF TTTTTTTTTHIRTYYYY-EEEIIIIIGHT!!

^3vv4v2ä42äö’4’ö4v3’öv43’42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pheww…

Deeeeeep breath.

No problem

A small cut with the angle grinder and the blockage was released. Of course, we didn’t have a replacement bolt either, so we had to order one. Haha. Anyway, at some point the chainplates were in position. They look nice, these new, strong and expensive titanium plates. If everything went smoothly with our installation, they will outlive us and probably the boat as well. The rearmost plate for the backstay (the rear mast support) still has to wait, however, as its bolts are mounted through the boat’s hull. Before the painting is done, we don’t want to mount any bolts on the outside of the hull.

Rudder assembly

Our rudder had been fiberglassed, mended and painted a long time ago. It is a mighty construct made of fiberglass and steel plates and accordingly heavy. So, we gathered our friends from the boatyard for the re-installation. We did so twice because the first time we discovered a small hole that still had to be filled. The second time everything went very quickly. The whole team tackled together and with teamwork we had the rudder mounted in no time. Another small piece of the puzzle on the way to our launch. Thanks again to all helpers!

What’s next?

Another low point has passed and things are steadily improving. It really is a clear pattern: After the rain comes the sun, after a long, cold winter comes spring. It’s a constant up and down. It won’t be any different out on the water. Speaking of winter: The temperatures here in the desert are now really bearable again. Our two AC units stay mostly switched off, and at night we can finally sleep with blankets again. That also makes many boat projects easier for us. Everything is simply more enjoyable if you are not completely wet with sweat within two minutes.

So far, so good: Everything is fine with us in Mexico at the moment. Let’s hope it stays that way for as long as possible!

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Der Beitrag All Good Things Come in Two erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

Prologue to the chain plates

You will remember the episode with the parcel in Mexico – the package that had only found its way to its destination in California after some back and forth. We had ordered new titanium chain plates from Colligo Marine. And to make sure to get exact copies, we sent our old ones there. A few weeks later they were to be delivered. Pretty simple, isn’t it?

Prologue to the water tank

It was a similar story with the new water tank. We had chosen the model, built it out of wood, determined the position of the fittings, put them in the corresponding technical drawing and ordered it. Actually, we wanted to install the fittings ourselves, but the manufacturer Ronco Plastics insisted that it would be better to have this done directly by them. Again, the delivery time should be about 3-4 weeks.

The spectacle begins

We ordered both in the same week and 6 weeks later both packages arrived on the same day. Actually, like Christmas and Easter on the same day. Except that our initial euphoria quickly faded. Dave unpacked the first new chain plate and compared it with the old one. And well, what can I say. They were not identical. We also unpacked the remaining 6 chain plates and 2 backing plates and things went from bad to worse.

It wasn’t just the one that didn’t fit exactly. It was all of them! Some too thick, some too thin, some too long, some holes not where they should be, too small an angle in the bend and wrongly bevelled edges. The full programme! We still had the faint hope that it was all just a bad dream. So, we ate fresh empanadas together with the other residents of the yard to distract ourselves a little.

This does not fit

But the next morning, despite twisting and turning, the new chain plates still didn’t quite want to match the old chain plates. I documented all the discrepancies and we called Colligo Marine. We directly had the boss on the phone, who immediately apologised and wanted to give us our money back without discussion after seeing the photos. He also offered us that we could send back the wrong chain plates and they would send us new ones. However, our challenge was the time factor. Could we wait another 6 weeks for new chain plates?

If it doesn’t fit, use a bigger hammer

We had discussed the chain plate situation with Marga beforehand. For the holes that were not quite in the right place, we could make the holes in the boat fit. For the plates that were too thick, we could enlarge the hole in the deck. We couldn’t see the effect of the backstay plate not being at quite the right angle until the mast was back in, but that requires the chain plates to be fitted. And we still had to clarify with the manufacturer of the rigging whether we could compensate for the almost 1-inch extra length of 2 chain plates.

But we came to the conclusion that we could make the boat fit with a few days’ effort. However, we would have preferred to have the chain plates fitted to the boat without any extra effort. So, we told Colligo our decision and they refunded us the same day. We exchanged money for time so to speak – free titanium chain plates, but extra work.

It continues

After this debacle, we looked at our new water tank and noticed that one of the four fittings was not in the right place. Was that really necessary? We sent an email to our contact person and asked what our options were now. The answer came surprisingly quickly – in the months before, mails were only answered after a few days and calls usually went straight to voicemail without a call back. Seriously, it took us a week to pay for the tank because we just couldn’t get hold of the company to give them our credit card details over the phone. And no, it wasn’t because of the time zone.

That’s not how it works

We were also surprised by the content of the mail: no apologies, but we could do the installation of the fitting ourselves in the right place and plug the wrong hole. Or we could send the tank back and they would correct the installation. So actually, do what we had been advised not to do, or send back a package on an odyssey again and wait another 6 weeks. We did not want to do that. After some queries and our counter-suggestion that they should send us a new tank directly while we sent the old one back, an even more surprising answer followed. That was not possible, they said, and besides, they had installed the fittings exactly where we had marked them. Boom.

Or was it?

We did not agree with that at all. In Swiss style, we replied in a discreet but firm email saying, among other things, that our drawing was correct but their installation was wrong. After all, three out of four installations were in the right place. And that we couldn’t wait another six weeks for a new tank. We don’t know exactly what happened after that. Anyway, two hours later came an apology and an offer that they would send us a new tank for free the very next day. Wow – we were still a bit disappointed, but happy about the quick solution to the problem. And we may find a place on Milagros for the water tank with the wrong installation and double our water reserves in one fell swoop. 2 for 1, so to speak.

The next surprise?

Now that two special orders had already gone wrong for us, we immediately had to unpack our new rigging and check it too. We had left it packed to keep it clean for as long as possible. So, we grabbed Betty, the yard car, and took the old and the new rigging to the paint booth. We laid everything side by side to check the lengths. We were very pleased to find that everything was right – except for one missing turnbuckle. The manufacturer Hayes Rigging immediately sent us the missing part, and so the rigging is now complete.

Another custom-made part

The fourth custom-made part was our new gooseneck (the attachment of the boom to the mast). We sent all the specifications, including mast profile and template, to Garhauer Marine and 2 weeks later we were supposed to have the finished fitting in our hands. 5 weeks later it finally found its way to us. After our previous experiences, we were a little nervous, but still in good spirits. But when we unpacked the shiny new stainless-steel piece, we immediately saw that it didn’t look like it should. And the fit check confirmed it: the thing didn’t fit. That simply couldn’t be true. We can now send the part back and it will be made to fit. It will probably be back here within a week. And finally, as with the chain plates, the water tank and the rigging, everything will probably be fine.

Why?

But how many times is the same story going to repeat itself? How can it be? Why don’t things work out right away? Why do our nerves always have to be strained first? What could we do differently? We spend hours discussing solutions, documenting, phoning, emailing, adjusting, sending back, etc. We don’t know what the problem is. These are well-known US companies in the marine industry, and our custom designs are not exotic. Is it our sketches or our Swiss way of communicating? Is it the lack of competition? What about quality control? But maybe it’s all normal and it’s because of my personal expectations of American quality and customer service.

But in the end, we always find good solutions – like with our new freeboard paint, by the way. Our will to persevere, our motivation and our resilience are greatly challenged by this, but also strengthened. Nevertheless: enough is enough.

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Der Beitrag All Just A Bad Dream? erschien zuerst auf Milagros.

The five stages of grief

The realisation that all the work on our freeboard was for nothing sits still in our bones. After this paint shock, we went through all five phases of grief in a very short time.

Denial

First came denial. We thought it must be a misdiagnosis and if we just let the paint dry long enough, everything would be fine. It couldn’t be that bad. Or could it?

Anger

Then came the anger. Trying to find someone to blame in frustration. Was it our own fault? Was it too humid or too hot? Did we not clean the surface properly? Was the paint sprayed on too thick? A faulty primer? Was the compressor dirty? Was the manufacturer’s data sheet insufficient? Questions upon questions that we can never answer conclusively. It’s probably a combination of a few factors. And we knew from the start that virtually all the negative reviews of this paint contained exactly our problem.

Negotiation

Next, it was time to negotiate. We thought we should just leave the paint on and deal with it later. But our egos wouldn’t allow that. After all, the freeboard is practically the only visible part of our refit. And there was still that small spark of hope that maybe the paint would cure after all. But even 2 weeks later, the adhesion test showed only a barely noticeable improvement.

Depression

After that, we fell into depression. We regretted the decision to have chosen this paint. That we had used a one-component primer. And that we hadn’t noticed it earlier. And anyway: why doesn’t everything just work on ships? Why are we doing all this to ourselves anyway? With the same money we would have already travelled halfway around the world with the backpack. We should sell the boat.

Acceptance

Finally, the acceptance came. A salesman from Alexseal – our original paint choice – took pity on us and offered us a super deal, which we accepted gratefully practically without hesitation. We resigned ourselves to the fact that we would have to sand for several days (again!). But we decided not to start sanding until the paint was on its way to us. Because of Covid, there was a shortage of raw materials in the US, so certain paint components were always missing. And as we all know, nothing is simple. So, in the meantime, we moved on to other projects.

Composting head

Our composting head from Airhead was delivered a few weeks early and still needed to be installed. We had already screwed the whole construction together and now we still had to install the ventilation. To do this, we removed the ceiling panelling to connect a small fan to the mains and install a switch for it. Actually, this fan should run constantly to ensure optimal composting. However, the fan is only 3 feet away from my head when I sleep. Therefore, I want to have the option to turn it off at night in case its noise bothers me too much. And hey, that was the first switch either of us ever installed in our lives. And it worked. Once again, a small success.

Our new mast platform

While we were waiting for our new boom fitting, we started to reassemble the mast. So, we had all the excess holes welded shut by Pancho and painted everything with aluminium primer and white paint. We designed a platform to install our new anemometer and Windex on top of the mast. The aim was to keep the navigation light, anchor light, antenna and both wind indicators out of the way. We cut the platform from our old water tanks, had Pancho weld it and then painted it.

Internally threaded what?

To attach them to the mast, we had to drill new holes, which also needed an internal thread. To do this we drilled core holes and then cut internal threads. Mat kindly showed us how to do this properly and also provided us with the tools we needed to do this. For the 1/4-20 screws (1/4-inch diameter with 20 threads per inch) we needed a 13/64-inch drill bit. This is of course not included in our basic drill set. And we don’t have an internal thread set either. But now we have nice new threads in a couple of places on the mast.

Dulce in distress

One morning just before noon we found the yard cat Dulce out on our deck. We had wondered where she was, as she has been living on our boat during the day for months, enjoying the air conditioning. She usually leaves the boat when we go to sleep and comes back in when we wake up. The day before, however, she had not shown up. Now she was lying there completely exhausted and dirty. We carried her below deck and checked her for injuries. Fortunately, we found none, except that all her claws were completely worn out. She could hardly walk and looked pretty destroyed. And her breathing was very fast.

What should we do?

We decided to observe her for a while and if she didn’t get better, we would take her to the vet. We put her water and food down and let her rest. In the evening, as we celebrated the birthday of Nic, our neighbour on SV Rua Hatu, with fresh oysters from the barbecue, it suddenly occurred to us that Dulce might have to do her business. We quickly filled a paint tray with Dulce’s toilet sand and brought it to her. Not even 10 seconds later she was using it as if she had never done anything else.

Changed

Fortunately, her condition improved overnight. After 24 hours, she managed to clean herself. But she still looked quite stiff, as if she had been through a great effort. When she bit and scratched me as I petted her, we knew she was fine again. We will probably never know what really happened to her. Maybe she fell in or got trapped somewhere and could only free herself with difficulty. Or maybe she was hit by a car and wore out all her claws trying to hold on to the asphalt. All we know is that her personality has changed somewhat. She is calmer now, much less rambunctious and has lost a little elegance in her jumps.

Make it fit

Unfortunately, the lows were not long in coming again. When we tried to put the spreaders back on, they didn’t fit. All four of them! If we hadn’t taken them off ourselves, we wouldn’t have believed they once fitted. We just couldn’t believe that the aluminium had suddenly increased in size. But with every single spreader, the Dremel had to go to work and enlarge one of the holes for the screws. For whatever reason…

Pulling in the lines

Before we started working on the mast, we had replaced all the halyards with placeholder lines. Now we wanted to haul in the lines. Three of the four lines that run through the inside of the mast go to the top of the mast. When we started to pull the first line back into the mast using the placeholder line, the other two placeholder lines accidentally came with it. So, we lost two out of three in one go. Once in the mast, we could only pull them out at the bottom. However, we still had one left with which we could pull more lines through the mast.

A near disaster

But when the remaining placeholder line with the line attached got tangled, the swearing started. We tried everything, including turning the mast (which meant removing the spreader on one side again). Eventually we found that the thin placeholder line was stuck between the tube for the power cables and the screws of a mast fitting we had attached the day before. The much thicker line just wouldn’t fit through there and got stuck. We wiped the sweat from our foreheads and pulled the lines back in one by one. All’s well that ends well. We were lucky.

With difficulty

Then we were able to reattach the mast sheaves over which the lines run at the top of the mast and reattach the tangs with our new bolts. It sounds easy, but it was a test of patience. I’ll leave out the details though. It was just tedious.

Working on the cooling system

While I watched Rob from SV Mapache cleaning the parts of his disassembled engine, we started talking a bit about engines. I told him that we had moved the expansion tank (part of the engine cooling system) inside the engine compartment and that brown, thick coolant was dripping from the hose. When was the last time we changed the coolant and cleaned the heat exchanger, he asked me? Um, well, we’ve never done that in the last two years. But since it’s something that should be done regularly, it went straight onto our to-do list. It was a task that could be done well in the midday heat.

Design flaw

In the engine manual, I found the drain hole for the coolant and initially drained the two gallons or so. When I opened the lid and tried to get the heat exchanger out, the exhaust was in the way. Now I really had to unscrew the exhaust! This seems to be a design flaw in the exhaust, because as I said, the heat exchanger should be cleaned regularly – preferably once per season. A dirty heat exchanger can lead to overheating (especially in these latitudes) and thus shorten the life of the engine.

Cleaning with muriatic acid

Rob also needed to clean his heat exchanger, so he came by one morning with a bucket and muriatic acid. We mixed the acid with water in a 1:3 ratio and let the acid clean the many small copper tubes. In our heat exchanger, 3 of the pipes were clogged with pieces of rubber. Sometime before our time, an impeller of the water pump must have lost a few pieces. This reduced the cooling capacity by about 10%, which is not insignificant.

The Hydra of the boat

As always, the completion of a task led to new tasks. For one thing, we had to order new bolts to fix the exhaust, as the old ones were quite rusty. Secondly, we discovered a damp spot on the exhaust with heavy corrosion, which was hidden by the heat shield. Now we have to find out if our exhaust has a hole and needs to be welded.

Electrical installation

Some time ago we fixed the problem with the stray current. The neutral phase and the ground were mistakenly connected to each other, which among other things had caused David to get electrocuted from the boat and the paint had peeled off due to corrosion on our mast. However, we had other things to correct about our grounding. Firstly, the ground of our AC system (110V) was not connected to the ground of the DC system (12V), and secondly, the housing of our inverter was not earthed. And because it’s so nice, we also discovered that our galvanic isolator (protection against leakage current from outside) was wired incorrectly.

Cable tangle?

We needed green (colour code for AC mains grounding) AWG 6 cable, terminals and crimping pliers for that size. And here, as always, the classic: we had none of this on board, because it went beyond the standard sizes. But once again we were able to get everything from other sailors here in the boatyard. So, we dug through our cables and tried to understand which cable now had to go where. Luckily our personal electrical consultant Cavu Dave was there to help us. In the end, everything found its place and everything now seems to be in order.

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Der Beitrag From A for Acceptance to W for Wrecked erschien zuerst auf Milagros.