Steering Gone Bad

At 1830Z we change from Port to Starboard engine. In the porcess the autopilot

kicked off. I tried to steer by hand and it was very hard. My first

assumption was that we snagged some garbage on one of the rudders and it

wouldn't let me steer. Thought I was going to have to go into the water.

Opened up the port engine hatch and discovered the rudder quadrant post that

connects the autopilot ram and the cross arm to the quadarant had sheered and

was jammed under the quadrant. I knew I had a spare quadrant and didn't know

why. It also looked as if it was used like it had been on one of the rudder

posts before. So it is highly likely that the pinion post is not substantial

enough. Fortunately the starboard side has the same pinion post because I

didn't have a spare one. I removed the pinion from the starboard side and

found a bolt and nut to replace the starboard pinion. Trouble is the whole on

the ball joint was about 5/8" in diameter and the bolt that would work was only

a 3/8. I needed a bushing. Remembering I had a small sheet of brass thin

plate, I was going to cut a strip about 3/4" wide and twist it up into a

bushing to take out the slop from the two different sized objects. As luck

would have it I happened to have a bronze hose barb fitting that was for a 5/8"

hose and the inside was exactly 3/8". Cut the barb off and there was the

bushing. We also could not get the rudder angle sensor post off the old

quadrant so I had to dig into my spare autopilot kit and salvage one from

there. All in all it took just under 2 hours to make the repair. I will check

it daily for any signs of wear. I sure don't want to have to hand steer for 5

days.

After we finished up the work on the rudder quadrant we got back underway.

Mosese and Malo transfered fuel from 7 of the jerries into the Port tank while

I replaced the first stage filter on the water maker. It was so bad I couldn't

even clean it, had to just replace it. Our previous water maker by Village

Marine used a single 20 micron sea water filter to feed the membranes. My new

water maker by RO uses 2 filters, a 20 micron and a 5 micron. RO says the

membranse will last for years. Village says they need to be replace after so

many years or when the volume decreases by so much. Village with the single

filter is allowing some stuff smaller than 20 microns to coat the membranes

wheras RO only lets stuff smaller than 5 microns in. There was a definate

discolleration on the 5 micron filter but surely not enough to change it. Time

will tell. When we get home I will have to pickle the system and put a

chemical in it to preserve the membranes.

Fuel use has been low but we definately need to use up what we are carrying on

deck before we get to Astoria or at least by the time we get home. We were

carrying 660 liters on deck along with the 640 in the tanks. So far only used

175 and change. We have been motoring for the past 36 hours and will have at

least another 24 to 30 before we see any substantial wind going our way.

I got an email back from Bob and Ann on Charisma telling me they were rolling

on the floor, dying with laughter reading yesterday's blog. I presume that

means they might not rely on their bread too much.

As the day progressed we made some necessary repairs to essential halyards,

reefers and the such. The main halyard has a 2:1 turnng block at the head of

the sail that has a special shackel to clip onto the sail but it is not

metaliclly affixed to the block. It had to be attached using some strapping.

It had shown some signs of wear and tear gefore we left HI but I thought it

might make it home. NOT! It was near giving away. Reomoved the web stap and

laced it together using some Dynema. Not pretty but damn functional. The we

replace the furling line for the main, as the old one was showing signs of

parting somewhere very inconvenient. Found some older line and and replace the

furling line then lashed the turning block at the base of the mast that was the

cause of the chaffing.

Wind is back up to 8-10kts on the beam, sails are back up, one reef in the main

and full gib. Motor sailing at 7.5 knots heading for the barn. If the speed

and seas continu the way they are we are 5 days out of Astoria.

All for now.

John