Tue 27 Apr, HHN day 14: Beaten by: painting, Aquadrive, outhaul piston, backstay piston. Drew even on the CV joint, and finally won with the painting.
The day started well, full of enthusiasm and “I can beat the world”. But, a product of yesterday’s successes, my attitude was clearly too cocky.
As forecast, it’s a beautiful warm day and the planned outside jobs are started by 8am.
First on the block is a quick respray of one of the white vents, and while I’m at it, spray paint to the bow toilet seat too, which had gone yellowish and had some scratches. But I was over enthusiastic with my coat thickness and the paint reacted with itself, producing a crazed mess. Oh hum …. I am not deterred. It just needs a quick sanding later and I’ll spray it again.
Next, is to make my design number 2 for a special tool to undo the shaft-nut on the Aquadrive. My last attempt was a bit mickey-mouse, but this time I have the correct metal and a better design. I set off to Weaver Boat Works with tools in hand and use their big vice to cut out and file the exact shape needed. I then modify a socket (the one that every socket-set has, for removing spark plugs …. we won’t be needing that one) and fix it to my tool. Now I can really apply torque and even use my impact wrench.
After heating up the rogue nut with a butane torch, the whole Aquadrive goes into the vice and I apply massive torque on the damned nut, with a cheater bar. But nothing budges. Not even a fraction. Back to the boat, back to the drawing board. I call my man in Aquadrive USA (Adam at Mack Boring in NJ) and he also can’t understand why it is so tight. I was about to ask him if he will service it for me, when he tells me they don’t do servicing anymore. Well, it’s no wonder really, if the Aquadrives are built like this with some sort of super-duper thread-lock from outer-space! Who would want to service them? But he is happy to quote me the price of a new one! Bottom line, the Aquadrive is put in the naughty corner and I attempt to forget about it for the rest of the day.
At lunch time, Ray swings past and we pull the hydraulic piston out of the boom. I have received a seal kit from Hallberg-Rassy Parts and intend to replace all the internal seals. But of course, I don’t have the right C-Spanner to unscrew the end. After a search of the engineering shops in the yard, I come back with a C-Spanner, but it’s too big. E-Bay ends up being the solution, but I’ll have to wait 4 days for my new C-spanner to arrive. So, another project on the back burner.
OK, I’ll try the backstay hydraulic ram now. That should be easier. I also have a seal kit for this one too. After 12 years, it’s about time the seals were replaced. If anything goes wrong with the backstay tensioner, we could be in trouble in mid ocean. I have the tool to undo the ends of this piston…. but yes, you’ve guessed it. The end fitting won’t budge.
Hmmm. Starting to get annoyed now. There is clearly a conspiracy today. I go back to the Aquadrive (though I promised myself I would not) and tried heating again and this time using my impact wrench. Nope… still not budging.
Over to the CV joint then. I have been sent pics how to take it apart to check condition, grease etc. This one I easily knock the end cap off and find inside perfectly preserved grease. Tempting as it is to take it apart, clean and put new grease, I don’t. I simply bang the end cap back on and declare – “OK that’s all good inside there. Job done.” And to make sure I don’t change my mind, I give it a coat of primer paint. It will go back in looking good even if it’s not good inside. But at this point in the day, I really don’t care.
Cloudy Bay had clearly beaten me. I declare a work strike at 5pm and head off for an early shower, vowing not to touch another thing today.
The thought lasts until the exact moment I get back to the boat. I have to have at least one success today. So, I quickly sand the parts I was trying to paint this morning and spray paint them again. Frugally this time, so the paint does not react with itself. There, one job done at least!
But otherwise, a totally hopeless day on the achievement scale. I’ll likely have nightmares tonight, all relating to stubborn mechanical parts.