Engine failure while pulling up anchor.
08 September 2021
• Vathy on Ithaca
by Peter Le Belle • Cloudy/sun 25 drg
So we were al ready to go and started the engines, while lifting the anchor I heard a whining noise. Where did that come from? From a boat somewhere or are greek truck on the shore needing urgent repair. I opened the engine hatch on the transom giving quick and ready access to the engines unlike some boats where you have to lift mattresses from the beds. I shut down the engines and still a whining noice, is the heating on? Blaming your crew if the touched something as you do....sorry....
It then became clear that the starter motor was running and starting to give off a burning smell, quickly switched the battery isolator to the engines and whining stopped. After inspection the motor was extremely hot. So had a coffee and put the anchor down that was luckily still in the bottom. Decided to tackle this one myself although the yanmar dealer is in vision distance to the shore. Removed the motor it was difficult access but managed quickly. Called the yanmar dealer for a new and after 3 hours they said they have one available for 320 euro ex tax !!!!!
I remembered a electrician work shop in Nydry so took the starter motor to him, his work shop looks like a bomb exploded (see picture) and he fixes car and boat electrical problems. He repaired the starter motor within a day and after fitting we we on our way again. We had a nice but fluky wind sail but I managed to overtake a 50 foot monohull with a by the looks skilled sailor which made my day. We arrived lated Kioni on Ithaki but the harbour was rammed full. So we opted to anchor with lines ashore as it was very deep very quickly and had to lower the anchor 18 meter down to the seabed and reversed to the rocks and I swam two lines ashore to keep us perpendicular to the rocks, we thought this was protected enough but Kirsty did not agree with this location, to much swell and moved next morning to Vathy and anchored here in the bay. Every place where you go here in Greece is amazing scenery and food and hospitality excellent so far. Also a great event was that my non contributing crew member volunteered to be hoisted up in the mast to fix the mainsail lazy jack line, obviously she now automatically got the contributing level :-)))
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