2010: Great Kills Harbor

Work Completed Underway: Part 1

Our trip to Maine, although delayed by my work schedule, went ahead as planned – more or less.  Well, less actually because we didn’t make Nova Scotia.  As Hurricane Earl (Sep 10) followed us up the coast and sideswiped Nova Scotia, we were pleased to have missed the worst of it in our hideout in Somes Harbor, Mt Desert Island.

Having spent some 10 weeks doing repairs and upgrades doesn’t necessarily mean that we escaped the joys of repairs underway.  Gunk in the fuel tank was our most dramatic problem, given that we were without a functioning engine and had to anchor under “sail power” twice during the season; and always when conditions were at their worst….

R2D2 our new oil filter that seems to have worked miracles...

Diesel Fuel System.  I always put fuel additive into the fuel tank whenever I refill but it doesn’t seem to have fixed a perennial problem of gunk in the fuel, as found in the primary filter from time to time.  As each season goes by, and the fuel is turned over as we motor a lot (on Chesapeake Bay, ICW, etc), it generally cleans up without anything more than routine checks of the primary filter to clear any build up of gunk, and occasional filter changes.  This year it let us down offshore near Atlantic City, and after we’d motored quite a few miles (up the Chesapeake Bay, thru the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, then down Delaware Bay), we had to sail along the coast and then into Sandy Hook to anchor – a sobering and thrilling event, especially for the First Mate who had to helm while I worked the sails. 

So I decided to upgrade the primary fuel filter for a bigger and better one, thinking that it would solve our woes – a Racor M500.  It didn’t come with the right fuel line fittings for WJ3 (3/8’’ elbows) so the guys that ably and charitably assisted me (see the story on our blog) came up with a combination of fittings to get by with – hence R2D2 was born.  I put it all together and fired up the Yanmar, only to have it cough and die a few minutes later.  Oh dear, only one course left to me, as advised to me as a sort of last thought as I left the dock with R2D2 in hand, and that was, if I had further problems with fuel, undo the fuel fitting on top of the tank and check for any blockage.  With a desperate  and heavy pit in my stomach I followed the instructions – a pretty easy task as it turned out, just undo a few screws, take off the hose, and, voila, a very blocked ball valve.  Aaaahhhhh, so that’s what’s been causing all the problems.  I shoved some wire thru it, blew into it and got out all the gunk.  No problems again for the rest of the season.  What a !@#$% relief!!

Time to relax & think of nice things_ Great Kills Harbour