Pre winter maintenance time again! Read and you will never buy a boat perhaps?

Yes, there is always something to do on a boat... we've reported on most routine things as they were completed. One frustration is the engine mounts for the main Lugger. After replacement they settled quite slowly requiring readjustment a couple of times (and they need tweaking again now) for smoothness. The mounts seem feeble for the weight and torque of the engine even though they are the standard units for the Lugger 1066T. You cannot easily replace them with beefier offerings as the bolt holes in the bearers are fixed. Pity. Would specify something much chunkier on a  new build boat.


Next spring, we will try to arrange a lift-out in Southampton at Shamrock Quay again as the stabilisers are due a service. The TRAC dealer is based next door to Shamrock so....  Have a look at Golden Arrow for information and Stabiliser video for an idea of how well they work. great bits of kit. No matter what the service costs, it is worth every penny when you are travelling in rough sea to make the crew happy / able to cook underway.

The little wing engine had some TLC this week. Firstly fresh oil and filter for the winter, then fuel filters. The primary filter isn't one of the nice Racor turbine series that are fitted everywhere else. It is this horrid little canister thing:

 

A pain in the bum to take apart and the seals never seem to quite hold all the diesel in properly. We remade one hose connection that was weeping and vowed to replace it with a "proper" turbine filter sometime (ie when there is a deal on the Racor units) via ASAP supplies website. They are not cheap little bits of kit.

The wing engine raw water pump was leaking a bit - they have ceramic seals that don't like inactivity (but love lots of hours service instead). So, it was treated to a nice new pump:

Contrast the need for replacement after 62 hours with the genset that has the original pump after 1002 hours use:

See, equipment behaves just like crew - it hates being ignored....

The final fun job was finishing off a heating boiler service that was done earlier this year whilst we were on the Hamble river. Of course, after the service we didn't need the heating (amazing -a whole summer in Scotland and the heating wasn't needed once!!) Now the nights are a bit chillier, we ran the unit and it was very (I mean very) smoky. It also was burning unevenly. Not best pleased after having it fettled by a professional Webasto trained technician in May on the theory that it wasn't a DIY job.

Of course, we were not close to them for the man to have another look so instructions were duly emailed over and the fun of dismantling the unit and adjusting the fuel pressure was had. Naturally it is simple and accessible. Oh yes - tucked away in the lazarette in one corner so you need long triple jointed arms:

Very very happy about that little task which should not have been needed.

Remember how Bob (the trolley shopper and yachting expert from Barbados) described live aboard cruising as "boat maintenance in exotic places"? Well he was right, except that Penarth isn't exotic. It is very very nice but hardly exotic.

During the winter we will replace the torsional vibration damper on the main engine as that is also due. One of those jobs where nothing looks any different except your bank balance. Important to do it though to protect the gearbox from engine vibrations and possibly big repair costs in future!