Fairhaven Shipyard

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Moment of truth.

So Monday morning came round and its now time to see what this ‘Shipyard’ is capable of. I got out of bed and instantly there was a knock on the hull. Hello, I hear you need some work! Its 8:00!! I talked through the engine and rudder issues and walked up to the shower block. I left a note on the guard wire to say I was using the internet and before I know It I heard a radio go off. ‘is that guy around with the little boat’ I was being demanded at the pontoon where five guys were waiting. Nervously I walked down the pontoon thinking I was going to be beaten up. How can I help I said. The reply was, ’your being lifted’. Before I knew it I was expertly plucked from the water and placed on a stand. I agreed I would do as much work as possibly to reduce cost which they were more than happy for me to do. I dropped the rudder myself and then called the foreman over for a chat. The rudder was cracked and the lower bearing loose in its housing and also loose on the rudder stock. Bert the fibre glass guy came over and we discussed what I wanted doing. I asked if someone could make me a new bearing and I was answered with the machinist is on holiday. Is this were it is going to all go wrong?

The engine guy also was busy and couldn’t make it down till Tuesday morning. I was starting to feel a little nervous. These guys now have my boat out of the water, trapped and I am supposed to be leaving for Bermuda on Friday??? How am I supposed to get the head gasket replaced in 3 days?

It didn’t look like any work was going to happen today so I went fro a cycle to West Marine and found Neimeic marine who do parts for all types of engines. I spoken the the guys there who were really helpful and had all the Volvo Penta engine diagrams and parts lists. I couldn’t believe it, right here, just down the road from the yard. I looked at the spares kits and decided it best to order the engine overhaul gasket kit. For the sake of $100 dollars it will save me a day waiting for parts. If I don’t need the bits at least I will have them as spares for when I go cruising later in the year with Tam. I also went to another spares places next door and they were able to order me a new muffler/water trap. A bit confused as to how I could have ended up somewhere so helpful and with all the right suppliers I went back to the boat.

Tuesday morning – I woke up had a shower and went back to the boat. My rudder, where has it gone! Who has stolen it? What’s that guy doing climbing the ladder to my boat with a tool bag? What is that guy doing with that tube thing.

My rudder was being dried out under a heat lamp. I had a new bearing made to perfection being fitted in the rudder tube and there was a guy looking for me to discuss my engine. Wow, am I dreaming, its Tuesday morning and things are really moving forward. There is no doubt Fairhaven Shipyard is a place where stuff gets done.

After a chat with the engineer about the engine we decided we better get it running. Will the engineer went down to sort out a hose. If you need a hose you et a hose at Fairhaven Shipyard, before I could get down the ladder three guys were rolling out a hose to the fool of the keel. We got the engine running and Will advised me that he thought it sounded and looked fine. This engine didn’t get that hot. I noted the water flow through bucket the engine was drawing from seemed slower than when I usually winterised it in the UK so we decided to start inspecting the water ways.

The water trap I tried to fix had a bloody great obstruction in it and the plastic choker put into the cooling pipe to increase the water temperature and to aid the heating of the domestic water had melted and totally blocked a waterway. Ahah!!! It appears we might have found some, if not all of the problem. So we have decided to strip the engine down as far as needed to ensure that all the cooling water ways are clear. So that’s where we are. We are waiting for the gasket and water trap to arrive and then when the boat is back in the water we will run it under load and see if we have cured the problem – should be tomorrow or Thursday latest. Will also ensures me that if it is the head gasket he should be able to replace it in a few hours – we have the parts to do that already!

Things are looking good for a sail to Bermuda on Friday. Fingers crossed.

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