Finally yesterday it hit 70 degrees around here and it was actually a pleasant day. I don't really remember most of the day. I put the old hardware back on the doors in the pilot house because we just aren't going to get to that project and cleaned up a little around the boat. The boat is pretty much empty right now in terms of provisions. I want there to be a lot of space so when the owner comes down he can get whatever he wants for the trip.
Today the mechanic showed up first thing in the morning and we got right to work. I was so hopeful today, I just had a good feeling. We got everything lined up and made sure that everything was perfect using a dial indicator and feeler gauges. The pump was lining up only thousandths of an inch off but we wanted it perfect. We got out the grinder and went to work on our spacers. By a half a hair at a time we shaved off the spacer, installed it, took measurements, took the spacer off, shaved it down some more, and repeated the process about 15-20 times. Little by little the pump lined up a little better every time. Finally we got to a point that we were satisfied with and locked everything down. I fired the engine and a very detailed visual check showed that everything appeared to be ok. I went up to the pilot house and engaged the thruster. It worked!!!! Finally after about two months of having a starboard hydraulic thruster pump down we are back in business. I will be watching the pump very closely next time we go out but hopefully it will run strong for many hours to come!
Its amazing if I look back to last May when I took the job taking care of yachts. I was scared to death. Sure I grew up around them, sure I was familiar with them, but taking care of one and being in charge of the upkeep?....Oh boy. I look back and am actually proud of myself. I couldn't have told you the first thing about a diesel engine, and you know what I still don't know half of it but every time I walk in to that engine room I get a little bit smarter. Changing primary and secondary fuel filters, oil changes, coolant changes, fixing a very badly broken hydraulic bow thruster pump, and just being able to walk around the engine room and know what to look for and know when its bad or good. When the boat rattles or shakes now I don't think to myself "Oh no I hope something isn't wrong." I can usually tell you whats wrong or get you in the ballpark before I even go investigate. As I write this blog there are things on this boat breaking but as a boat captain you develop this bond. The boat respects you and you respect the boat. As the air conditioning cycles through, the generator hiccups, the air compressor kicks on, the AC water pump turns off and even the clicking noise of a transformer behind the wall when I turn a light switch on and off...the bond grows stronger.
The new bow thruster pump on the starboard engine. From left to right the pump with hydraulic lines moving towards the bottom of the screen (all still healthy and original), the clutch housing which is brand new, the coupler spacer which is not really visible behind the clutch that was fabricated locally, the coupler (white "shaft") that was fabricated in California, and the rubber centaflex coupler to allow flex as the engine floats on its mounts every so slightly as we shift from forward to reverse or speed up, and finally the engine.
Sound Waves Out
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