News From the Yard

Tiki J has been released from the yard but unfortunately not because the work is done.  The autopilot either needs a major overhaul or to be replaced.  This is after the yard checked it out thoroughly earlier this year and replaced the ram (I believe that is the correct term for the arm that attaches to the steering quadrant below decks and actually does the steering at the computers commands).  The rudder position indicator did not fit the new arm so one of the crew fabricated a new bracket to attach it.  We weren't able to get the system working so asked the yard to trouble shoot.  The first new diagnosis was that the rudder indicator was faulty.  So they replaced it.  Oh wait the drive unit needs to be sent back to the manufacturer and reprogrammed--I think that was the final diagnosis.  Or they may be waiting on a part.  I can't remember which but in any case it sounds like Tiki J is headed back to the yard after the weekend cruise out.

The other problem we took Tiki J in for was that the motor had cut out on the way up the coast and that seemed to be related to gunk in the tanks clogging the fuel filters.  This has been a recurring problem so we previously had a fuel filter pressure sensor installed.  It is really cool because you can actually see the pressure building and building as you hear the RPMs getting lower and lower.  When the pressure gauge gets into the red zone there is usually a complete loss of engine noise... since the motor is getting no fuel it dies.  We have a two filter system so the idea is that when you see the pressure starting to rise you switch filters in the theory that you have clogged one but the other one should be okay.  Unfortunately this has not proved to be the case in the few times we have had this issue.

Sooooo the yard took out all the fuel, cleaned it, cleaned the tanks, blah blah blah everything should be FABULOUS.  Last night when the owner and another crew were moving it from the yard to the cruise out yacht club they watched the pressure gauge going up up up, heard the RPMs going down down down and rushed to take action before silence ensued.  Switched the filters, switched the tanks, switched the tanks, switched the filters.  Didn't seem to make much difference and the pressure and RPMs spontaneously went back to normal.  They have now concluded that the fuel line needs to be replaced since that is the only thing that hasn't been cleaned out yet!  Though at the rate we are going we aren't going to need to run the motor to charge the batteries on the trip as we aren't going to have anything drawing power!  The delivery crew might want a motor though.  And an autopilot.

We are looking forward to relaxing at the cruise out this weekend and then getting back into the hard core boat prep for the last three weekends before we take off!