Sunday 10 February 2019

During sea trial yesterday with diesel mechanic aboard, experienced similar vibration as prior to replacing engine mounts, adjusting valves, aligning shaft, checking cutlass bearing and servicing prop. Since nothing can be causing it, it's obviously not happening. !@#$%^&*()_+ or stronger words to that effect. Mechanic blames cutlass, but yard man says it was OK.

Just north of Durban as sun peeps over horizon. Looks like we're good to at least East London, tomorrow evening. Easy sea and little wind until tomorrow morning so we get to listen to prop shaft shake worse than before for another twenty four hours. Notwithstanding professional opinion, figure it's either shaft alignment (current favorite) or cutlass bearing (a misnomer as it's a bushing that looks nothing like a short, curved sword - nautical lingo)

Monday

Finally picked up Agulhas Current awhile before wind backed from SW to SE. Interim was a tad frisky with 16 knot wind against 4.5 knot stream. Now averaging better than ten over ground with sails and should make East London before dark for a couple day rest.

- Later

As usual the best laid plans.. wind and current fell off so arrived in the dark after a last hour of thirty knot squall with commensurate sea. Just happy to be here.

Tuesday

Never looked at transmission/shaft coupling as diesel mechanic swore it was perfectly aligned. My bad. It was never checked. Bolts and nuts holding it together are frozen solid. Wire brushed and sprayed with some magic (he said, he said) de-freezer obtained in Darwin and now awaiting the magic to happen. Check later. Since vibration is worse and only major change was engine mounts...

Wednesday

No magic. Meantime Buffalo River YC is having a braai tonight and we're invited. Probably leave in the morning for Port Elizabeth. Latest GRIB (Godawful Retribution for Inattentive Boaters) shows a wee low might stop us there for a couple of days as boat speed absent sailing wind will be slow. All to be revealed in the fullness of time.

Jack & Jan