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Always exciting to see our yacht in the slings….

So what is a “Short Haul?” A short haul (out) means hiring a marina to lift your boat up and out of the water and then place it on the land with jack stands for a short period of time in order for you or the marina to service the yacht. Common needed yacht services are: 1. The bottom cleaned and re-painted to slow down the accumulation of barnacles and marine growth. 2. Clean and wax the top sides, the part above the water to the deck, the hull. 3. Service the propeller and the propeller shaft. 4. Clean and wax or paint the boot stripe. These are the primary services needed to be completed on a yacht once a year or every other year. For us, it has been three years since we last painted the bottom. We use a very expensive paint ($250 per gallon!) called Petit Trinidad  which has 60.5% copper mixed into the paint. The copper prevents marine life from attaching to the bottom. This is a hard paint which does not wear away into the water. We prefer this kind of paint because we do not like the idea of applying a gallon or two of paint to the bottom and then having it deliberately wear away into the water. This seems to us to be a bad idea. We like to keep our paint on the bottom!

This is the bottom with some marine growth.

With the weather being nearly perfect, we decided to haul out now and accomplish these tasks over three days. Day one, we washed and waxed the hull. The boat was thoroughly compounded and waxed by the Island Packet Yachts factory team in November, so we decided to only wax the hull this time. This took us about 5-6 hours. The yard wanted $650 to wax the boat. The next day, we painted the bottom with two gallons of Pettit Trinidad Blue paint. This is a rather quick and easy job, as long as your arms and shoulders hold up. Using a broom handle and a paint roller, you stand back and reach under the yacht to paint the keel and under belly. But, remember, the paint is 60% copper and copper is HEAVY, so your paint roller takes on the weight of about a bag of sugar. After an hour of levering this 5 lb roller up and down, spreading the paint onto the hull, you never want to see a paint roller again!

The prop with PropSpeed applied

After painting the bottom, we decided to apply a sealant to the propeller. We sanded and cleaned the blades of the propeller and then applied a two part sealant from New Zealand known as PropSpeed. Once the etching compound is coated, then you quickly apply the top clear coat to seal the surface. This product then makes the propeller so smooth and non porous that marine growth cannot attach to the surface. A clean prop saves fuel and makes the boat moyor faster. We have used this product before and it lasts easily over a year, maybe two. It is not cheap, but then again, nothing in boating is cheap.

The $5.99 boot stripe paint, it works!

The final job we completed was to sand and re-paint the boot stripe. We have had bids on doing this job for $1,000, so we have been doing it ourselves using a $5.99 can of spray paint called KRYLON FUSION. It is for plastics. Guess what, our boat is plastic, fiberglass, so it WORKS!  This will last about 3-4 years and it is so easy to do. We simply sand the boot stripe with 320 grit (400-600 would be good also) then we tape it off and wipe with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner to clean off any wax or dirt. Dry it, dust it and then spray it. This takes about 30-45 minutes for the entire yacht. Easy, easy job.

Our final work will be the second coat of bottom paint around the waterline. The marina also has to move the jack stands which will allow us to paint the area under the pads. Then we plan to touch up some varnish and be re-launched back in the water. At this point the boat is ready to HEAD SOUTH for cruising year #4. YAHOOOOOOO!!

The marine travel lift at Haven Harbour, they do a great job

Job #1, power washing the bottom to clean off the growth This takes one marina employee about an hour

Drive the yacht across the yard to a parking place. Total remote control

Time to get to work….Radeen jumps right in and begins the clean up

Standing on scaffolding, we use buffers to wax the hull,

Look how shiny this 20 year old boat is now…WOW

Perspective: Our car parked under the bow of the boat.

Time to wax the other side, this side is in the sun….HOT

The prop: 17″ dia x 14″ pitch, Michigan Wheel, Dyna Jet….works great. No folding prop for us. Been there, removed that…

Radeen working on painting the bottom of the keel, hard working girl.

PropSpeed product, two parts, one etches into the prop, the other seals it

A completed prop with PropSpeed and Radeen cleaning up

Thanks to Ed L.. KRYLON FUSION paint for the boot stripe Works well and it only costs $5.99

Sand, wipe, tape, spray it….FINISHED in about an hour!

Easy to spray, easy to do

Our work space, with  thework ladder and shelf

All I can say here is….KA-CHING $$$$$

There it is, now you know all you need to know about yacht services on the hard. Haul it out, wash it, wax it, paint it, seal it, varnish it, relaunch it, …. and set sail. DONE. We were hauled out on Wed at 9am, we will be relaunching on Friday at 2-3 PM. Thank you for sailing along with us!

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Fort McHenry, Oh Say Can you See?

The City of Baltimore went over the top with an outstanding production of their Star Spangled 200 celebration event. Friday, we watched the Blue Angels prepare and practice for their Sat and Sun air show and walked around the many tall ships tied to the harbor seawalls. Navy Ships, NOAA ships, Tall Ships, and USCG ships from everywhere sailed into the harbor to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.

Radeen and Nina enjoy Saturday’s air show from the bow

Saturday, we worked most of the day cleaning the boat and stowing tools and spare parts. We watched the Blue Angels from our boat and then went to Canton for dinner with our good friends Bob and Nina of IP38 Moondance. Sunday, we water taxied together to Fort McHenry for a new perspective on the air show, with an interesting narration. We boated, walked the waterfront and took in some beautiful skyline harbor views. Our adventures were topped off with a wonderful visit and waterfront crab cake dinner with long time friends Reuben and Molly, owners of IP380 Priority. We look forward to traveling south together!

We are so impressed with the changes made to the Baltimore waterfront. We have not been here for 6+ years, and our memories of the waterfront were not that fond as there were many run down areas. Today, that is not the case, Baltimore is a MUST STOP harbor on the northern Chesapeake Bay. From Canton all the way into the Inner Harbor, there are fantastic marinas, wonderful towns, exciting shops and diverse restaurants. We simply came over here to see the weekend event, but now we feel as if we need to stay the week and rediscover this outstanding town. The Chesapeake has so much to offer, and in the fall, it turns into a dream cruising ground. Outstanding job, Baltimore, we plan to return and stay much longer!

The best and largest fireworks display we have ever seen

6 Barges in the river all synchronized to fire at the same time!

Our home at anchor off Canton Waterfront, Baltimore

We were at Fort McHenry National Park for the Air Show Sunday, these are our Park Stamps

The Fort McHenry 15 Star Flag and Pole in the exact position as in the war of 1812

The USCG demonstrates a dramatic water rescue off the fort

Great friends Reuben and Molly with Radeen and Hayden…. Thank you, Nina, for the photo

A beautiful view of the Inner Harbor of Baltimore

Island Spirit is back into the cruising plan and this was such a great way to kick it off. Our next adventure is to return to Rock Hall where we need to reassemble and ship back our old engine. Next, we need to haul out, paint the bottom, and wax the hull. Stay tuned!

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USCG EAGLE training ship…

With the engine installed and up and running, it was time to break it in and motor sail across the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner. So, we departed Rock Hall, MD at 7 am and made it past Fort McHenry, through the restricted zone, and into the harbor before the practice flights of the Blue Angels began. WOW, they are loud. They flew directly over the harbor and our mast where we are anchored in the spectator area A. The Blue Angels performances are scheduled for Sat and Sun from 2 to 4 pm. Then there will be a massive fireworks display at 9:30pm.  If it is raining, then the fireworks will be Sun night.  We are also here with our buddy boat, IP38 Moondance, Nina and Bob, who just returned from their first trip to Long Island Sound and NYC. They loved it. Other IPs we hope to see this weekend include IP32 Betelgeuse, IP420 Oro Negro, IP380 Tamarack and IP380 Priority.

Our sunrise as we depart Rock Hall. MD

Being on anchor again, with a running engine and a fully equipped cruising sailboat, is a peaceful and joyful activity and we both love it more than ever. We can really appreciate this even more now that all the engine work is finished. We baked homemade bread, shared a sunset with Nina and Bob aboard Moondance, slept in, and enjoyed breakfast around 10:30! WOW, what a peaceful life. It is great to be getting back into the cruising life, even if only for a short while before we haul, paint, wax, close up the house, and load up! For now, we will enjoy this special weekend.

Here are some photos, I love to share….

So much for a simple motor test, unforecast 20-25 knots of wind, spray over the bow

Boat motoring at 1,500 RPMs to break it in, sail full, speed 6.4 knots

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, the entrance to Baltimore harbor

A dinghy tour around the tall ships, a great way to see these beautiful old vessels

1932 USCG EAGLE training ship, 295 feet long, this is the figurehead

Look at the finish on this wood ob “Le Galeon”! OMG

Nina and Radeen share a smile and a sunset, great to reconnect with the team

What is a sailboat without fresh baked bread?

The Pride of Baltimore II sails off our stern

Touring the tall ships via dinghy

Radeen, in the sunrise, WE DID IT, Island Spirit is back on the water!

Our SUNSET off Baltimore, beautiful

If you want to see the events planned for this weekend, they are published at www.StarSpangled200.com We saw the Navy Jazz Band “The Commodores” perform and enjoyed an IMAX movie depicting the battles against the British leading up to the famous night of September 14, 1814, at Fort McHenry. What a fantastic celebration!

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And her name is “YannieNEW”….

WE DID IT! Along with our good friend and master mechanic, Don, we installed a new remanufactured Yanmar 3JH2e 38 hp diesel engine into our 1994 Island Packet 35. Day One, Monday, the crane lifted the engine from the crate to below decks, setting it onto the cabin floor. We took over from there to do the installation. This required us to gather up all the OLD engine parts, block, cylinder, mounts, brackets, clamps, exhaust elbow, etc, as the new engine did not have exactly the same connections for cables, mounts and various items. So, we used our IPY company car, the Ford Taurus named “Goldie” and drove to Chris Oliver’s machine shop on Kent Island to pick up our old engine. Well…..the engine is still in the trunk of our car BECAUSE WE CAN’T LIFT IT OUT! So our car looks like a cool LOW RIDER now 🙂 See last photo.

Our poor car filled with the old engine parts

Monday, we spent the afternoon getting the old engine and taking off parts that we needed. We found a broken weld on one motor mount, so we had that repaired. Tuesday, Don worked with us and helped us finish the mounts, and together we used the mainsail halyard to lift the engine from the floor into the engine room. After that, we bolted it down and connected the propeller shaft, after diving under the boat to clean the shaft of barnacles so it would move forward! Yes, I hired a diver two days prior to clean up the shaft and the bottom, but the shaft would not move, so I dove it. By the end of the day Tuesday, we had the engine nearly finished. Wednesday, we worked on the cooling hoses, wiring harness, exhaust system, alternator, grounding wires, pilot solenoid for the starter, and a initial engine alignment. By 4 pm on Wednesday, WE FIRED IT UP. The new engine started in a nano-second and sounded fantastic. We are back up and running. What a job it has been!

Don our Master Mechanic and IP 420 owner

Our next step will be to complete the engine alignment with Don on Thursday, then on Friday we will shake it down as we power over to Baltimore for the Star Spangled Banner Event Weekend! After that, we need to gain confidence in all this re-installed work, and check and recheck all systems, bolts and mounts. One big advantage to this job is…..

We really KNOW the engine room NOW! Heck, we have installed EVERYTHING! No worries now, because if it breaks, we can fix it, that is for sure!

We lifted the engine with the halyard from the top of the mast

This has to go, a slotted engine mount. Not good. We used our old one.

We added a pilot solenoid under the starter, an optional upgrade

This flywheel dampening plate was one of the necessary parts from our old engine

Reinstalling our transmission from Ed L. Thank you, Ed!

Looking down from above as we lift the engine into the room and bolt it down

LOOK AT THAT, new mounts and a clean install

POP the GRUET Champagne, our favorite from NM

Ahhh, a day to celebrate on Island Spirit!

Side Note: We used Shell, DEX-COOL, the orange stuff

Our poor car, “GOLDIE” with about 500 lbs of old engine parts in the trunk

We are so happy to have Island Spirit back up and running, Now it is time to prepare for moving back aboard and our trip #4 south on the ICW to Miami, Biscayne Bay, The Keys, the West Coast of Florida, and the Bahamas. LIFE IS GOOD……

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Radeen works the engine room….

Today we hired the experts at Haven Harbour Marina to tow our boat over to the yard and then we hired their expert crane operator to lift our new, remanufactured Yanmar 3JH2-e engine into the boat. This all took less time then it takes to write this blog entry!  We now have a new engine, and it is inside the boat, and we have decided to install the engine ourselves with our friend and master mechanic, Don. Today was just getting the engine into the boat. Now the real work begins.

First on the list today was to work on adding new Yanmar motor mounts. Next, we swapped out the low quality exhaust mixing elbow with the standard yanmar mixing elbow. No this is not the top of the line 3″, $1,000 mixing elbow, but it is what our boat came with, so we will stay with it. I know, we think this may have been the lead cause of our engine failure, so we plan to replace this every 3-4 years now. We also need to install the transmission and an optional starter solenoid relay. We  have to add the coolant loop to the hot water heater, which is an option on the engine installs. This makes hot water when the engine is running, a must have. A stock engine does not come with this.

The new engine in the the crate

So, our next step is to cut up the engine room box and make the engine room door opening large enough to accept this engine. The engine measures 20 1/2″ wide, the engine room door access is 18 1/2″ wide. Oops, looks like the engine will not go through the door.

So, we will try first, but then if it will not twist into the engine room, we will cut up the teak box and remove the side post, giving full access.

The goal Tuesday……GET THE ENGINE INTO THE ENGINE ROOM!

We were towed over to the marina

The crane reached between the back stays and lowered the engine below, well done!

There it is, our new Yanmar 3JH2e below deck on the IP 35

Oops, we found a broken motor mount, which will be re-welded

Old school, very old school /Yanmar exhaust mixing elbow must go

Mixing elbow off

New mixing elbow installed

New motor mounts installed, 100 lbs starboard, 150 lbs port side.

Ka-ching, these motor mounts were 3 years old. Out with them and in with new one$

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Great sailing buddies….

This is a catching up blog post which covers the summer of 2014! We sailed back into Rock Hall, MD, to our home slip on May 26, planning for a quick turn around and then setting sail for a return to Block Island, RI. Well, we departed right on time, June 26, 2014, only to have our engine blow up a few miles out. So this summer we removed the engine and then moved HOME, to our passive solar house, where we truly enjoyed seeing family and friends. We took two trips to our Washington DC family where we enjoyed our cousin’s theater production and July 4th. We shared meals with our wonderful sailing and teaching buddies. Over Labor Day, we enjoyed a long-anticipated trip to see Radeen’s family in Washington State and Oregon. We also designed and built a new master bathroom and really loved our time spent at home.

How wonderful, CLAIRE, B.E. visited us in Rock Hall

Here are some photos, about 50, of the summer of 2014. We are now back on board Island Spirit in Rock Hall. We will be re-installing our new re-manufactured engine this week. If all goes well, we hope to sail over to Baltimore for the Star Spangled Banner Event the weekend of Sept 13-14. 

For now, we hope you enjoy our summer of 2014 photo collection below. Thanks for following our blog….

Hayden and Radeen

We applied more varnish, Epifanes coat #6

Radeen waxing the deck

Radeen’s teaching buddy Paulette came for dinner

We installed a new wind machine

The lilies are up, time to set sail for the summer

The engine blew up….our summer sail is off

Celebrating July 4th with family, how fun with Sherry, Paul and family

Working on the engine head, we can fix this….

Bahamas Buddies Nina and Bob of IP Moondance visited on their way to Long Island Sound

We pulled the engine, it was in bad shape

Great friend Jeff helped to take the engine apart

We found the problem, connecting rod #3 spun a bearing!

Pappy and Pam of IP Pappy’s Packet

That is it….we moved off the boat….let’s go home.

Happy Anniversary # 34!

College roommate Anita with Radeen, such great friends

At Dianne and Gene ‘s home where we enjoyed a wonderful meal

Our original plumber, Freddie, plumbed in our new bathroom

Teaching friends Joni and Jim shared a visit

Captain Ron and M.A.(Mary Ann) invited us to their new home in MD, fun fun fun!

Back to DC to visit family again and to see the terrific play “She Kills Monsters”

THANE is the best with GrandMa and PaPa

Party at 394 with our sailing buddies, Craig, Radeen, Gail and Freddie

Silly sailing buddies, Gail, Dianne, Radeen and Wendy

My Best Teaching Buddy, Dianne

The WILD Italian Travel Team from last summer’s trip. I almost broke my neck riding these horses!

SALMON HUNTERS….off to Washington and Oregon

Beautiful ladies in Seattle, Radeen, Frankie and Erin

F. L,F.P. = Frankie Lee Fancy Pants

THE BEST DAY OF THE SUMMER, boating on Lake Washington!

F.L.F.P. with Hayden

Life is great on the lake and on the boat

Wild Man Darren on the 60 MPH Jet Ski

Hiking Mount Rainier….at 7,000 feet

Mt. Rainier, Washington, is so beautiful

1,000 HP, the fastest vehicle I ever rode in….Darren is NUTs…but I loved it!

Southern Oregon at Radeen’s Brother’s log home, it is so beautiful

F.L.F.P the bracelet maker and manicurist extraordinaire

David, Hayden, Lee and Darren. We really did move 3.5 tons of hay in one afternoon! Thanks to Darren, who is soooo strong!

Beautiful ladies, Radeen with her niece, Tanya

My favorite photo of the summer. Sibling BBQ Smoker Team

Family time in Oregon, Thank you, Judi and Lee!

Look at the beautiful setting

Rusty, the wild Mustang, in training

Lee, Judi and Radeen

Raedeen and Judi at Rooster’s in Klamath Falls

Wood River wetlands, Oregon

So, there is our summer 2014 wrap-up. We have hired a crane to lift the new motor into the boat on Monday, Sept 8, 2014 and plan to re-install the engine with our good friend and master mechanic, Don. If all goes well, we should be up and running soon, maybe by Wednesday or Thursday. That is our hope!

Thank you once again for following our blog!

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..Out with the engine…

After removing the cylinder head for a valve inspection and possible valve job, we discovered piston #3 with evidence of connecting rod bearing issues or possible main crankshaft issues. We could identify this by the scoring marks on piston #3 where it hit the intake and exhaust valves. We also had movement on piston #3 from top dead center. When tapping lightly on this piston, it moved down slightly; the other two pistons did not move at all. This was NOT GOOD. Now we needed to remove the entire engine block to gain access to the oil pan and to inspect the crankshaft and connecting rods. The question still remains, WHAT HAPPENED? We know we had an overheat to 255F for about 5-10 minutes. We found we have a partially blocked mixing elbow. We know we had one impeller blade break off. So, we were looking for the problem to be with the valves in the head , but now we found a problem in the piston. So, out with the block.

Yanmar 3JH2-E Lifted with halyards

We lifted the engine out using our main halyard and one spare halyard as a safety. The block might weigh about 300 lbs. We received great advice from fellow IP owner John D. who told us to add in the use of the jib sheets to control the lift. This turned out to be the real secret to lifting the engine out ourselves. We originally had planned to be towed over to the next marina where we had hired a crane operator to lift out the engine. But, lucky for us, we have a very good friend and master mechanic here in town, Don B, IP420 Hallelujah. Don helped us with the lifting, moving down the dock and loading.

We lifted the block to the cockpit stoop, then to the cockpit floor, then to the cockpit seat and then to the dock finger pier. It was amazingly controlled and easy. The final trick was to use the finger pier piling with a sheet line back to the motor and the jib winch. This allowed us to winch the engine out and off the boat by pulling with the winch around a piling on the finger pier. Brilliant.

Using the jib sheets to control position aft

It all worked very well and only took about 30 minutes to lift the block and secure it on the hand truck. Down the dock we wheeled it to the parking lot where Don used a Kubota tractor to lift the engine into the rented Uhaul van, where we secured it on an old tire. Good idea, Freddie! We drove it to my other mechanic Chris O. in Stevensville, MD for evaluation. The next day, good friend Jeff G. IP35 Lucille and Radeen and I drove to Chris’ place where he directed us on how to take apart the lower block and pistons. There he showed us the spun connecting rod bearing on piston #3. Time for a rebuild evaluation.

Chris teaching us how to remove the crank

The next day, Chris called and informed us that the cost of parts, machining the crankshaft and replacing the heat ex-changer would run $6,500 plus labor for rebuild. He thought it was not worth rebuilding. So our wonderful and reliable Yanmar 3JH2-E engine that has run over 10,000 nm is dead! We will need to re-power Island Spirit. The cause: Blocked or poor oil delivery to connecting rod bearing #3, all other bearings were perfect! Added to this problem was a restricted exhaust mixing elbow.

At this point, we will be going with Alfred R. Holzer at http://www.SchoonerBayMarinaLLC.com/ where he re-manufactures diesel engines. Mack Boring in NJ, where we took our diesel service classes, referred us to Alfred. Other IPY owners, Kevin and Ceal and John also referred us to Alfred. He has a fantastic reputation! He has engines in stock and he will build you exactly what you want for about 50% the cost of a new engine. So this is the way we will proceed. If we installed the new Yanmar 3JH5, we would need to change out our exhaust system which was newly installed by the Island Packet Yacht’s factory 6 months ago during our refit. Looks like I should have ordered an engine then as well 🙂

http://www.SchoonerBayMarinaLLC.com

Island Spirit will get a new re-manufactured exact replacement engine in 3 weeks. Radeen and I along with Don, our friend and master mechanic, will install the engine. You do know the acronym B.O.A.T. don’t you?

The start of pulling the engine.

Disconnect the prop shaft, pull the transmission, rig the lifting bridle

Lift the engine with the main halyard and a spare

Control the position with the jib sheets and winches

Pull AFT to oppose the forward pull of the halyards

Lift and then use the jib winches to position the engine to the side

We took the aft line and went around a piling to pull it aft, then up and off the boat. Worked great

Hayden, Ray (IP27 Wye’s Guy owner) and Don B.,  our mechanic

Our engine on a hand truck with no transmission

Lift it into the van with a Kubota tractor

This new GMC van was surprisingly quiet and comfortable!

Jeff and I were instructed by Chris on how to take apart the lower block

There it is, the bearing that is frozen to connecting rod #3

This failed bearing costs $10.00 but will cost us $6,000 to $7,000 in the end

Piston #3, my new paper weight

The crankshaft bearings were all fine and so were pistons #1 and #2

Radeen, Chris, our mechanic, and Jeff ,our good friend (Note “Every Penny” in the background, Chris’ record holding race boat!) We all tried our best to fix this engine…..but….

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…Our cylinder head on the galley counter…

We are not in Block Island, Toto, nor is this Kansas!  We are in Rock Hall, MD with our engine block torn off of our diesel engine. Yes, we are doing our own rebuild as we try to solve the problem with our engine tapping, overheating, and the loss of horsepower.

After doing the easy items like fuel fittings and line inspection as well as a full cooling system rebuild, we are now into the engine block and the engine head. We are looking at the valves, push rods, rocker arms and valve springs.

Yesterday we removed the cylinder head, which requires you to…

1. Drain all coolant
2. Drain all sea water
3. Remove…
4. ..Exhaust mixing elbow
5. ..Heat exchanger
6. ..Intake manifold and fuel lines
7. ..Fuel Injectors and fuel pipes
8. ..Coolant water pump
9. ..Thermostat and all coolant hoses
10. ..Valve cover
11. ..Valve rocker arm assembly and pushrods
12. ..14 head bolts using a breaker bar and hammer to loosen these
13. ..FINALLY, remove the cylinder head
14. …..Take to Chris Oliver diesel mechanic for rebuild

Our engine torn down

Sherry, Paul and Hayden at the Monument

The Washington Monument

Boat buddy Ken at the cookout

Hayden and Radeen 4th of July in DC

Wonderful family visit, Paul, Radeen, Allison, Brea and Ben

Walking past the Lincoln Memorial

Shopping with Sherry, Radeen and Diane, Love Love Love

The Rock Hall, MD fireworks over the harbor from Ken’s rooftop deck

Step one, remove the exhaust mixing elbow. This will be replaced. These clog up. It was cleaned 3 years ago.

Step two, remove the heat exchanger. Oops, it hits the wall! Now what? The threaded rods in the head will un-thread and then it could come out.

Step three, dump all engine parts in the kitchen sink!

Sort out and inspect all engine parts on the galley counter…NOT fun

Head bolts are really TIGHT….use a breaker bar (pipe) for more leverage

We broke off NO head bolts, lucky us, now off with the head!

Here is another fun family photo with Hayden’s Dad and Peg for his recent 80th Birthday celebration

 
We know engine work is not as exciting and beautiful as sailing photos, but this is all part of the cruising adventure. We are just so glad to be at our home dock….

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On the launch pad for a go…

We departed Rock Hall, MD, 30 minutes early (!) on Thursday June 26, 2014. bound for New England with Bill of IP-380 Tamarack and Herb of IP37 Still Crazy and their crews. Then 6 miles out, we had an engine issue like none before. The motor sounded different with an odd tapping noise possibly coming from cylinder #1 of our Yanmar 3JH2E diesel motor. Then we noticed the engine was heating up which I proved with our laser temperature gun. The oil was 255 degrees F. Next our temperature alarms started going off but we already knew we had a problem because in the first 1 hour of running I had done three engine room checks. On the third check, I thought something was wrong before the alarms alerted us. We could only run the motor at 1500 to 2000 RPMs without over heating and there was still a very odd tapping sound, like a valve or piston issue.

Island Spirit at home waiting for a fix.

So, we sadly decided to return to our home dock where we have a car and mechanics that we know and trust. We stopped at one marina whose mechanic told us.”YUP, that sounds BAD!” Thank you, I know that. What do you think it is? “I don’t know, let me go get some tools!” Oh, no, you don’t. Tell me where to start, and I will. So, he wanted the injectors first. A call to a Mack Boring tech also suggested starting with the fuel injectors and then working through the cooling system as these items can cause a tapping if the injectors are misfiring or if the engine is too hot. Our friend, Don Bergen of Bergen Yacht Services and owner of IP420 Hallelujah, is very busy but kindly stopped by to listen to our engine and confirmed these steps as a good way to start.

Yacht was  polished and waxed and varnished

Back at the dock we began taking items apart for testing. First we pulled the injectors and had them “POP TESTED” ….all proved to be fine. Next we looked into the cooling system, trying to find out why she over heated. Sure enough, one impeller blade was broken off! (I had inspected my impeller before departure and it was fine.)   I had already ordered all the parts, hoses, gaskets and o-rings to rebuild the cooling system, planning to do that job in August. So, I took this opportunity to do the job now. We pulled the heat exchanger, cleaned it and added new coolant and all new cooling hoses. We changed the oil since it had over heated and we changed the fuel filters since the engine had surged very slightly two or three times.

The new black cooling hoses

We put this all back together after about 25 hours of work over two days and turned the key. (Amazing she always starts up after I tear the engine apart! That is a great feeling.)  As she heated up, she made a louder and louder tapping noise near cylinder #1. So we now have a great diesel mechanic arriving Tuesday, Chris Oliver from Kent Island, MD. He will probably diagnose the problem in 30 seconds, and we will follow his lead or hire him to fix it.

So…we still have a problem. Time for a sip

The problem has to be:

1. Valve issue, push rod issue, rocker arm issue
2. High Pressure fuel pump not firing the injectors at the right time
3. Lower engine crankshaft bearing issue

1. Thermostat
2. Heat Exchanger
3. Coolant and coolant hoses
4. Impeller
5. Fuel filter clogs
6. Oil levels and filter
7. Propeller fouled

WE HAVE HOPE, that it will be an easy fix

Maybe we should have called the mechanic sooner, but I had to do the cooling system at some point, so now was the time. 

Let’s hope it is a simple push rod or rocker arm or high pressure fuel pump adjustment, because the other items could run in the thousands of dollars.

We had the trip to NYC all figured out We had the currents all figured out We did our homework

When our daylilies bloom at home, it is time for a summer sail

6 weeks of provisions to be stowed!

We hired a diver the day before leaving to clean the bottom and propeller

I bet the problem will be this high pressure fuel pump. $$$$$

AM coffee with our fuel injectors removed. That was fun, try it on your boat!

Valve cover removed, engine spun by hand, checked each rocker arm and push rod

Remove the thermostat and replace with new

Pull the heat exchanger, inspect and clean, then re-assemble

Day two, coffee with my heat exchanger and my BLOCK ISLAND mug

New impeller installed

New fuel filters, this one had 77 hours on it. Look, it’s not dirty.

Our well used Yanmar Service and Parts manuals

Took apart the Heat Exchanger

Took apart the coolant loop

Took apart the seawater cooling loop

Island Spirit at home waiting for a fix.

Once again, we are so lucky that his did not happen in NYC, or Long Island Sound, or Block Island, RI because it would have cost far more. Here we know people and we have good mechanics that we trust. Plus our car is here and this is our home dock. So, if she had to break down, then Island Spirit did us a BIG favor and said…“HEY…I need some attention NOW.” So, her Diesel Motor is getting plenty of attention. Thank you, Island Spirit….

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We will be sailing back to Block Island and going the route of New York Harbor and Long Island Sound. This is a “return & review” trip to see if sailing New England is as wonderful as we remember it to be.

We have not been north (NY, CT, RI, MA) since 2011, so it is time for a review. We know of other Island Packet Yacht Owners that are planning to run north as well, so we may have a FLEET, and an Island Packet mini-vous / rendezvous as we travel. Join in anywhere you can find us, to share an anchorage or sail along.

Here is our plan: (Note: This is via NYC and LIS and return to NJ via the ocean)

1. Thur, June 26 Rock Hall MD to CD Canal Engineer Cove, anchor or dock
2. Fri, June 27 CD Canal to Cape May NJ, anchor or dock at Utsch’s Marina, a good fuel stop
3. Sat, June 28 Cape May NJ layday, explore the town
4. Sun, June 29 Cape May NJ to Atlantic City NJ, anchor or dock
5. Mon June 30, Atlantic City NJ to Sandy Hook, long day 12-15 hrs, anchor or dock
6. Tue July 1, Sandy Hook / Atlantic Highlands layday
7. Wed July 2, Sandy Hook  (through Hell Gate) to Long Island Sound, Port Washington, mooring balls, anchor or dock
8. Thur-Mon July 3-7 Port Washington Laydays to ride Long Island Railroad into NYC for days exploring The City. Return to boat each night, relax, enjoy Port Washington.
9. Tue July 8 Port Washington heading East to Duck Island, anchor
10. Wed, July 9 Duck Island heading East towards New London CT
11. Wed or Thur July 9-10 New London CT, drop anchor or take a mooring ball or dock
12. Thur to Sun July 10-13 New London CT, SAILFEST, fireworks, festival weekend
13. Mon July  14 Sail to Block Island, or stop in at Watch Hill RI for a beach day
14. July 14 to July 28 Block Island RI based with trips out from there.
15. July 28 – 30 Looking for a weather window to sail offshore back to Cape May NJ
16. Aug 1-3 Cape May NJ, anchor or dock
17. Aug 4 Cape May to CD or Chesapeake Bay
18. Aug 5 Return to Rock Hall, MD

CLICK to see our CALENDAR

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