2011: A Late Start

Crossing the Atlantic

Repairs Underway: Part 1

Generally, all repairs & modifications took place before we left Deltaville Boatyard. We were thankful for the assistance provided by the Yard’s skilled technicians and their quality work.  

Our plan was to head north to New York City, or thereabouts, then head east to Europe along the 40^th parallel.  Simple, until we reached Baltimore and I carried out a last minute check of some of our gear…. 

Rudder Steering Arm.  On inspection I discovered two cracks in the rudder fitting – steering arm if memory serves me correctly - at the top of the rudder stock and which was attached to the steering via push rods.  Serious stuff and my discovery brought back many memories of the new rudder being fitted in the British Virgin Islands in 2008.  At the time the new rudder’s stock was ever so slightly smaller than the old one and so the old steering arm needed to be fitted accordingly.  At the time the ‘technician’ did this by belting the living daylights out of the (cast) fitting with a hammer until it eventually cracked.  Two weldings later and some shims had it all fitted okey.  Not.  Time had caught up with it and the steering arm had failed along the line of the weld.  So I decided, given our Atlantic crossing plans, it was time to fit a brand new one.

Cracked rudder steering arm

After some discussion in Baltimore & Annapolis at various yards, we hoofed it back to Deltaville, reasoning that they understood us and our boat.  Kindly they responded to our short time line (we really needed to get going on our crossing) where they measured the rudder stock precisely and a new fitting was ordered.  It’s interesting to note that Edson, the supplier, needed a reading that was accurate to within three thousandths of an inch.  On being given these dimensions they then bore the hole in the fitting.  It fitted perfectly and is still doing sterling service.
 

Hauling out at short notice

More Steering Breakages.  At this late stage we decided to sail south a relatively short distance to Norfolk, at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay, and then head off for Europe from there.  The first night out, as you do, we had a fine gale which was quite unexpected.  We also lost autopilot steering when the cog, on the other end of the shaft that the steering wheel is fitted to, sheared so that the chain to the autopilot motor was completely disconnected. 

Unhappily, but not wanting to steer all the way across the Atlantic, we turned back to Norfolk, ordered a new replacement shaft, had the broken one repaired too, fitted the new shaft and autopilot chain, then headed north to New York City (again). 

As we had no further problems we then headed east for Europe via the Azores. As you do!

Some of the crew added their own modifications
which came with a drinks service too!