Not another day in paradise.
10 November 2010 | San Carlos, Mexico
sunny and warm with wind
Yesterday, we started in on cleaning out under the stern bunk. It's a huge space that many folks use to hold a generator. Up came the mattress so it would lie on the back ledge and then braces were wedged under the front end to hold it up. In I went handing Tracy the panels that cover the compartment and support the mattress. I started handing out what we had put below. Lots of bins of things--keeps them dry and organized. I grab one of the many gallon jugs of oil that we store down there. It felt a bit light and I suddenly realize its leaking oil and has been doing so for quite some time. There is oil everywhere. On just about every box, filter, or piece of equipment that we kept down there on the starboard side. In come lots of paper towels and oil absorber pads and things are carefully handed out. YUCK!!! It had flowed down the sides and I think finally made it's way to the bilge which could account for a bit of the oil I found there a few days ago. We have lots of things that will need cleaning before they go back into storage.
Next, we wanted to replace the hose that goes from the cockpit to the hydraulic pump that feeds the steering system. It had gotten old and appeared to be quite brittle. I disconnected the hose from the pump and Tracy pulled it out. Down came the new hose(with a bit of encouragement from me reaching in with a long handle) and I attached it to the pump and clamped it on nice and tight.
Next, on to finally fixing, once and for all, the hydraulic steering that got sort of fixed while were were in Cabo San Lucas last December. It has dripped just a bit of oil ever since. The fittings connections were not tight enough. In with wrenches and pliers and first I took the fitting apart since when they were connected, the rubber hose was in a very tight circle that could eventually cause the hose to fail. I tightened up the fittings and put it all back together again
Now we had to bleed the air that had entered the hoses while I was working on them. With Tracy at the wheel in the cockpit, I slowly opened and closed the necessary bleed nipples to get the air out. Tracy repeatedly added more and more hydraulic fluid to the hose as I slowly bleed it out. After an hour of so, the steering was still stiff and it never seemed to get any easier as it should when properly bled. Tracy's arm was getting tied it was so tough to turn. OK, time to call in the help. Off to Star Marine for help. We needed a mechanic who knew what the problem was and get it resolved. They set me up with Alfredo, the same guy that fixed our electrical system a few days ago. Since bleeding the system takes two people, he came with another guy. In they came and checked all the systems. They checked the pump and thought it might need to be taken out and serviced. Instead, one of the guys climbed under the stern bunk and started the bleeding. Alfredo stayed in the cockpit turning the wheel and adding more oil as it was bled out below deck. They got quite a bit of air out of the system but it got no easier. Finally, the guy down below disconnected the hydraulic ram(gizmo that moves the rudder back and forth)from the rudder. Alfredo climbs down the ladder and tries to manually turn the rudder. It didn't want to budge more than about 20 degrees to each side. It was binding up. That's why it was having such a problem. It was stuck in it's frame. We had to drop the rudder and fix the bushing that it rides on. OH JOY, The guys took off the get the jack we needed to slowly lower it while I took apart what was inside holding it in the boat. With the jack in place, they took off the bracket that keeps it in the boat at the base of the keel and slowly lowered it. There was no bushing--it was just stainless steel riding on stainless steel. Out came the sand paper and scrapers and the cleaning started. We would be installing some new plastic bushings between the rudder pins and the bottom holder so it will have something to turn on instead of just metal to metal. First they had to be made. What did they use for the plastic bushings? Behind Zephyr was an old water tank that someone had left. Out came the hole saws and presto, the bushings were cut. I do admire the Mexican people their resourcefulness. Nothing has just one use.
All the while this was going on, I walked over and got a can of Coke from the machine. At my first gulp from the can, I felt something sharp enter my mouth. Before I could stop the gulp, it was gone down my throat. I spit out what ever was left in my mouth. What ever it was, it sliced up the back of my mouth near my tonsils(I still have mine). It hurt like heck every time I swallowed and still does. Now I guess I just have to wait to see what it might do as it passes. Gee, are we having fun yet? And you folks think all we do is sit back and drink margaritas!!!
The guys from Star Marine will be back this morning to finish the job. The bolts they brought to replace the old ones don't appear to be of the best stainless steel we think we will need to make sure they don't disintegrate in salt water. The guys are in search of better bolts if they can find them. At the worst, we use the old bolts.
We took off for dinner with Ed and Francine off S/V AKA. We met them early in our stay here in the yard. Nice people that have been sailing all over the world. A real font of knowledge to talk to while we had dinner.
The main cabin is now trashed while we fix under the stern bunk so with luck, we will get everything fixed and re stowed by sundown tonight and the cabin back in order.
I've added additional pictures in the "San Carlos" album. If you go the "Main" album, it will have other albums under it with more pictures for your viewing enjoyment.