BOAT= Bring On Another Thousand

entry by cw

Unfortunately we have run into a bit of a snag.

 On Tuesday we took a cab down to Tarpon Springs to pick up the Belle.  The boat yard did a wonderful job on the bottom, the prop and the swim platform.  Pictures show how good she looks now...

Oh so smooth

 

notice the bronze fish brackets holding up the swim platform.  silly but cool!!

new bracing for the swim ladder

We settled up with the yard and took off down the Pithlachascotee River to the Gulf.  Everything was great until we reached the end of the no wake zone.  As we powered up to 1500 rpm we felt a significant vibration.  Dan looked in the engine room and observed obvious shaking of the engine.  We immediately turned around and limped back to the yard. 

The whole boat yard was involved in trying to figure out the problem. After a lengthy diagnostic procedure it was found that a bushing deep in the bowels had worn through a housing and gouged the drive shaft.  Why didn't this show up before, you may ask... It seems that the problem became apparent because we had the prop fixed (one blade was out of alignment) and when we got going the shaft was wiggling back and forth trying to get that gouged spot back into the bushing/housing and it wouldn't go.

Anyway, the bottom line is we have to replace the shaft and bushings and then fiberglass the area that had to be opened up for 'surgery'.  Good thing is that we found this out now rather than in some remote area with no facilities.  Also, we will have a brand  new drive train.  Bad thing is that it won't be done until Tuesday or Wednesday.  We had planned on being underway by then.  We will have to put in some long days to get all the way around to Georgia by March 15th.   Such is the cruising life...problems come up and you have to solve them.  Spirits are high despite the glitch we have encountered. Sky is sunny and weather is warm.

Take care all and I'll update soon.