Our Progress on the Maintenance List (this one is for the guys)

We, well I should say Jens, because when it comes to this sort of thing I am just an innocent and ignorant bystander, had a long list of maintenance and repairs to do before we tuck SEGWUN away for the next few months.


THE LIST:

1. Pickle the water maker for storage. DONE
2. Check auto pilot (it gets a bit noisy when it has been used for 20+ hours consecutively). TESTED AND CONSIDERING HYDRAULIC FLUID CHANGE
3. Bimini restitched. AWAITING QUOTE
4. Change oil and oil and fuel filters on main engine (Yanmar). DONE
5. Repair generator (Northern Lights). AWAITING DELIVERY OF VOLTAGE REGULATOR
6. Repair crack on main engine silencer.
7. Repair and service bat-car system on main sail. WAITING FOR PARTS
8. Repair UV protection on stay sail.
9. Repair bow thruster (appears the propeller may be missing).
10. Dismantle and grease all winches. DONE
11. Service aft head pump.
12. Replace rivets for the latches on hatches.
13. Repair hand bilge pump in cockpit.
14. Repair hand water pump in galley. DONE
15. Sand bottom of boat. New antifouling paint for bottom.
16. Finish lacquer work on deck.
17. Repair pressure switch on fresh water pump. (Eric and Liz may remember the last time we had a problem with the fresh water pump and had no fresh water available on the boat for a couple of days. Fresh running water is a luxury we take for granted. That time is was a ruptured membrane. This time it appears to be the switch and luckily we have a spare switch on board.) DONE

After completing item 4 on the list above, Jens found a few more things to do...

1. Check raw water pump on main engine. DONE
2. Clean water cooler on main engine. DONE
3. Clean turbo charger on main engine. DONE
4. Change thermostat on main engine. DONE
5. Service injector valves on main engine. IN PROCESS

THE BIG JOB ... GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM:

Jens serviced the engine with an oil change and new fuel and oil filters. This went smoothly and as far as I was concerned it sounded just fine. But Jens wasn't satisfied. Over the past few months the engine output was not what it should be. It felt a little sluggish when engaging the motor and twice we had temperature water alarms when we were running a little fast. Basically, we weren't achieving the right RPM's getting maximum 2000 when we should get at least 2800.

We asked for a service guy to help trouble shoot the problem. He and Jens started by cleaning the turbo charger. It was dirty, but not really bad enough to think they had gotten to the root of the problem. Jens and the mechanic took SEGWUN out for a sea trial and managed to get 2400 RPM's out of the engine. After some time running at 2400 RPMs the high temperature alarm sounded. Back to the slip for more trouble shooting and more dismantling. They checked the heat exchanger expecting it to be dirty, but that was not the case. Next check was the functioning of the thermostat which was in fact faulty and needs to be replaced. This may the cause of the alarms, but not the sluggish engine. The search continues with checking the injector valves, so out they came. They definitely need to be serviceloft they go to a diesel lab in Panama City for cleaning and adjustment.

My job when all this is happening is to make myself scarce. The aft cabin is completely dismantled with the pillows and cushions stored in the forward cabin so they can have clear access to the engine compartment. On our Island Packet the engine sits under the cockpit between the galley and the aft cabin. There are three access doors to the engine; one in the galley, one under the stairs to the cockpit and one from the aft cabin. When all the doors are open and tools are at the ready on every available surface there is not much space left. So, I grab my book, computer, iPod and phone and head to the boaters lounge to chill out for the day. When they are finished, I step in and vacuum and wipe the greasy spots up, and hope that all the parts that came out of the engine are now back in where they belong.