Almerimar
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Tue 24 Aug 2010 16:04
36:41.79N
02:47.4W
Tuesday 24th August
2010
We left Cartagena
late afternoon on Saturday (21st). Serafina left at the same time
as, although they didn't need any work done, they are due in Duquesa to meet up
with friends on holiday there later this week and the weather for their planned
journey looked unpleasant, so they decided to use the weather window and spend a
few days at Almerimar before making for Duquesa.
The wind was fair
when we left and we enjoyed about six hours of cracking sailing, romping along
at 6-7 knots. All good things come to an end though, and the wind dropped
and soon we had to put the engine on. It stayed on then until we arrived
in Almerimar around 5 the next day, where we parked in a handy slotnot far from
the shower block and a few boats away from
Serafina.
It being Sunday, we
didn't call the boatyard until the next morning but within a few hours the
rudder had been looked at, the autopilot drive had been taken away for testing
and we had booked a lift-out for 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Steve went off with
the Raymarine guy and watched as the autopilot drive was taken apart to reveal a
broken cog in the gearbox. A phone call was made to Lewmar in the UK who
will not send a new gear, but will send a new gearbox, but we have to wait a day
while they put one together! Why they can't just send the part we
need is a mystery, but not one we will dwell upon. The new gearbox should
be dispatched today, Tuesday, and will hopefully be with us on Friday.
Fingers crossed that will be the autopilot problem
sorted.
This morning we
moved the boat to the slipway at 8 a.m. and were out of the water by half
past. Because we plan to go back in tomorrow and are not antifouling, they
are leaving us in the slings overnight. The rudder stock has been
re-packed and the antifouling patched up. We discovered we also had some
damage to the antifouling on the keel, which would have happened when we were
moored bows-to between other boats on the Rally, and their anchor chains dragged
across the keel. Apart from that, the hull was looking good and very
clean. We cleaned up the prop and greased it, the anodes are still like new, so
she is now ready to go back in the water tomorrow.
Scott-Free in
the slings, looking good