A final show stopper?

'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Fri 9 Aug 2013 04:41
Oh boy!
 I left Kupang on the 7th hoping to go to Alor. The saildrive initially behaved itself and I motored out of the anchorage then picked upo a very nice wind which at times gave me 7+kts SOG. That lasted about 20nm then it gradually died away. By late afternoon I was using tickover to assist in the forward motion. All was well until around midnight I needed more assist. A bit more power and ....nothing. I made 8nm in 6 hours.

Come daylight I investigated. The reverse gear engaged OK but forward? Well sometimes, maybe. The prop appeared to be turning but wouldn't produce any drive. I pondered the wisdom of continuing to Alor but with the lack of wind this would take me 4 days and it looked like sailing into the anchorage would be problematic. Hmm. Back to Kupang then with Internet connections, a mechanic and an airport if all else fails.

I managed to sail back and spend a pleasant (sic) two hours  drifting backwards and forwards in the anchorage with very light winds and eventually 'parked' more or less where I'd left from. Reverse gear did work but with only one engine directional control was difficult if not impossible. I actually reversed for 2 nm when the wind died for a couple of hours and this got me inside all the fishing boats which were messing about...sorry gainfully employed. A shore breeze developed and this allowed me to progress to windward for 4nm then gybe and run back into the anchorage. Nice to know I can still sail.

So, I've spent a fruitless two hours trying to download a Volvo 130S saildrive workshop manual. No luck. I've been referred to facebook a gazillion times and the site that I downloaded a woorksop manual for the engine, Polarcmarine, doesn't offer a manual for the saildrive. Does such an animal exist and does ANYBODY HAVE A LINK OR pdf FILE THEY CAN SEND ME PLEASE?

I have an installation/workshop manual for the engine which seems to indicate that the selector gears can/could be replaced without getting the boat out of the water but it's only a schematic. Has anybody done this? If I have to lift the boat out I'm stuffed. There are no lift-out facilities here and no where to dry out (tides too small). There is also the question of cost of course but I'm hoping to take any parts needed from the other saildrive. This meant I had a closer look at the other engine. apart from the missing starter motor/alternator I'm missing an air filter and my favourite mechanic (not) hadn't connected up the saildrive unit so I have no idea if it was damaged or not. He said not but as we know.....

Given the lack of wind in these parts I'm not too sure what happens now. I've prove to my satisfaction that reversing any distance is not an option and although I'm quite happy to sail/drift somewhere but where?

Anybody got any constructive ideas?

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