Can’t seem to get away from the dock this week

This is my ‘almost’ getting things done month. I almost got the bilge pumps working. I almost got the jib back up. I almost got the dink fixed and the hole patched, I almost sold lots of books, I almost…

So we finally got all the little bad things done. Everything that was keeping me at the dock was dealt with in some form or another. Got beer, got food, got water, got to get going. The weather was finally going to cooperate with me for a few days. It’s time to get to the sunken treasure ship and see what is there. Everything is ready.

Yea, right…

So we get the boat ready to go to sea, put all the stuff where stuff is supposed to go, make the coast guard happy, make the GPS Gods happy with modern navigation gear, everything is ready. The tide is high and everything is in order. One tap on the ignition and the Yanmar is running smoothly, just a few puffs of blue smoke that we have never seen before. I tie us back to the dock to check the engine. Everything looks fine. No reason for the smoke, engine running good, hummm… might be just from sitting for a month or so.

Untie, and pull away from the dock, life is good…

Yea, right…

So we get out of the fairway and into the shallow narrow channel and the wind starts to kick up. Moving the throttle forward delivers less power, the engine is starting to die. The Admiral jumps on the helm while using our forward momentum to keep us in the narrow channel. I go below for a quick look. The engine is still running, just will not deliver power much over idle.

Oh-oh… got to be a fuel problem. One of the Racor filters is full of water. I switch to the secondary Racor. The engine rpm’s increase, we got power. We will make it out of the narrow shallow spot.

Yea, right…

I’m back at the helm, coming around the corner and into a little open area prior to getting back into a narrow channel again, with more wind. Loosing power, going slower, slower… oh crap… Would the Admiral report to the helm again, and quickly!

I jump up to the bow and open the anchor locker. I get the Danforth kicked off the bow roller in into the water and 20’ of chain goes before the rode. The boat is still moving at 2 kts. The Danforth sets behind us and starts to yank more rode from the locker where I’m standing, in the middle, with my left foot and then, oh crap. The rode takes a turn around my left ankle and I envision myself as a cartoon character getting pulled to the depths with the anchor.

The boat starts to spin 180 degrees as the anchor sets with my ankle. I reach down and get it unhooked just before the bone crushing snap. I get the rode wrapped on the cleat as the AbbyGale tightens the rode and comes to a halt.

Cough, sputter, die… the engine stops completely.

Time to assess the situation.

One Racor filter is full of water. The other, that I switched to, is not. The engine died. That has got to mean that water went past the first Racor and into the engines primary filter. After switching Racors I was still putting water into the system from the secondary filter. Damn.

Time for a cup of coffee and just sit for a while as we wait for BoatUS. Getting towed back to the dock is never pretty, or manly, but back at the dock we are.

Time to find out where the water came from, order new filters on line as the local marine stores don’t have them, and build up a fuel polishing system.

So there you have it. Yesterdays adventures and today’s repairs where so far I almost have the fuel problem fixed, I almost have all the parts to fix it, I almost had enough new fuel line, Home Depot almost had the right ¼” connectors, they almost had a new O-ring, but will order more, almost got lucky last night…

Boating is so much fun! I’ve discovered that you don’t need very much water in the tank, just enough to fill the filter is all you will almost ever need.

Filed Under: Sailor's Yarns

Tags: boats