Fixing the boat
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sun 19 Jun 2011 02:53
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Somebody once told me that cruising isn't about
sailing at all - it is merely the opportunity to repair your boat in
distant locations. How very very right he was - we have spent much of our time
here in Newport so far mending things rather than sightseeing or
relaxing.
We arrived here with a list of things to fix - most
importantly our autopilot whose failure had caused us to hand steer three hours
on and three off for over 1500 miles. A more knowledgeable friend in
Bermuda had helped confirm the diagnosis of a failed course computer. Luckily
despite the fact that it was over fifteen years old a new replacement is
available (at $2200) with the need to change only one other ($750) part. So a
new computer was ordered and delivered and fitted by me. It worked (!!) and has
now been commissioned in seatrials. I also ordered a vital new part
for our wind & water generator from the UK (incredibly, delivered three days
from order) so we have green power again too. And with the help of some truly
dreadful rain I have at last tracked down two annoyingly elusive minor
leaks (really bad news on a boat). One culprit requires the windlass to be
removed from the deck so will have to wait until we're ashore, and here is the
other - a saloon window whose perspex had come loose in the frame:
 The job is seen nearly finished (note the use of
our saloon table, about which Alison oddly protested not at all) with the new
sealant in place - spoon used to smooth it off, a crucial part as anyone who has
sealed a bathroom will know. The window was refitted this morning and now
requires rigorous water testing. I really hope it passes - scraping off the old
sealant was a very long and frustrating task.
And I've fixed (having been pointed in the right
direction by that same knowledgeable friend in Bermuda) an apparent overheat on
the generator caused in reality by a loose wire. And a new frame quick release
for my bike has been ordered from California (taking much longer to arrive than
parts from the UK) so we're now nearly set to sail again.
And to prove that it's not just us, here is a photo
of us towing in our friends Robin & Jenny from
Maymio on the day after we
arrived here. Their engine refused to start so they had a day (only!)
having to handsteer and then sailed up nearly to Newport where we met them in
the estuary and towed them to the anchorage. There is no lifeboat service in the
US, everything is commercial. Towing costs $300 per hour with the meter running
from the moment of the call, worse even than a taxi. My first experience of
towing, which is much trickier than it looks. Luckily the weather was very
kind.
 Those in the know can spot the broken DuoGen shaft
on the left, just under the yellow universal joint.
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