We had two great nights at anchor. The second day the wind picked up so we moved our anchor. We installed the fiddles in the galley and read our books most of the day. I was able to finish my book, granted I started reading it a few weeks ago. It was "Humboldt's Cosmos" by Gerald Helferich and it was about Baron Alexander von Humboldt and his journey to America. In case you don't know, the Humboldt Current that runs north only the west coast of South America is named after him as well at other places such as Humboldt, California. It is an interesting non-fiction, and I have decided I do not want to travel up the Orinoco River any time soon.
Thursday morning we got up and prepared Windarra for passage. Our plan was to raise the anchor, go to the fuel dock, top off the tanks, take on some water and then head across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and then on to Pender Island to clear customs into Canada. That was the plan. We thought it was a good plan. Unfortunately things don't always go according to plan.
As we were raising the chain almost to the shank of the anchor, the windlass made a noise and then stopped. Rich was on the bow, and stepped on the foot switch again. He could hear the motor running but the windlass was not turning. He pulled the anchor up the rest of the way and secured it. We motored to the fuel dock as we planned and he would take a look at it there.
I practiced my helm skills and steered to the fuel dock. While I was fueling the aft tank, Rich took a look at the windlass from below. The top of the windlass was no longer flush with the underside of the deck. It was hanging a few inches down, suspended by the ground strap. All 5 of the bolts that hold the windlass to the deck had been sheared off.
This was not good. This was not part of the plan.
We arranged to get slip space at Pt. Ludlow Yacht Club. Once secured to the dock, Rich looked at the damage further and we decided on a new plan. After a few calls we arranged for a rental car at Poulsbo and a taxi ride to get us there. Once we had transportation we drove to Tacoma Screw in East Bremerton for some replacement bolts. Unfortunately the longest bolts were only 6 inches and we really needed 6 1/2 inch long bolts. So we drove to Pt Townsend to Admiral Ship Supply and bought 8 inch long stainless steel bolts. The original bolts were chrome plated brass that we had installed in 2000 when we did the first refit of Windarra. These special bolts cost about $60 a piece from the manufacturer, Maxwell in New Zealand. So the stainless steel bolts at $13 a piece seemed like a good replacement.
Friday morning, Rich took the windlass apart and we installed the new bolts. A few he had to cut down so they would fit. Luckily we have a die set on board to chase the threads. With the windlass back installed we checked it out. No joy. We surmise that when the bolts broke, the gears failed as well. This is not good.
So we hop back in the car, take the Kingston ferry to Edmonds and then drive to our storage unit to pick up our spare windlass. We have been exchanging these two windlasses, having the motors rebuilt to keep them operational. After the storage unit, a quick stop to pick up our mail and Costco to get some vacuum packing bags we are in the ferry line on a late Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, Rich removed the windlass with the bad gearbox and connected the one from the storage unit. We do a quick test before installing it completely. I step on the foot switch, the shaft turns which is good, but wait, it is turning counter clockwise. The windlass is built to power in both directions. When we had the motor rebuilt the last time, the shop indicated that one set of stators were bad and it would only power in one direction. Unfortunately it is in the wrong direction for our needs. It can only power to let out chain, not to bring in chain and raise the anchor.
We have two windlasses, one with a broken gearbox and the other with the wrong set of stators. Unfortunately the motors are not interchangeable and neither are the stators. This is not a good thing. This was not part of the plan.
Our friends, Doug and Nancy, who live on Bainbridge Island and were on their way to Port Townsend for the weekend, picked us up from Poulsbo after we dropped of the rental car. We joined them for brunch on Sunday morning.
After brunch we motored Windarra back to Shilshole.
The new plan is to find moorage for Windarra, then arrange to get a new windlass, install it and then leave again. In the mean time while we wait for the new windlass to arrive, we have plenty of other boat projects, like connecting the new solar panels, the water maker, etc. etc.
We are going through the 4 stages of grief. The first stage is the shock that the windlass was broken. The next stage is the denial that the windlass can not be repaired. The following stage is the anger that this happened at all and that we are not out cruising like we planned. The last stage is acceptance, that it is time to replace the windlass and it is better to do this in Seattle where we have access to our car and the storage unit and marine stores, etc.
Hopefully things will go according to the new plan……..
Thursday morning we got up and prepared Windarra for passage. Our plan was to raise the anchor, go to the fuel dock, top off the tanks, take on some water and then head across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and then on to Pender Island to clear customs into Canada. That was the plan. We thought it was a good plan. Unfortunately things don't always go according to plan.
As we were raising the chain almost to the shank of the anchor, the windlass made a noise and then stopped. Rich was on the bow, and stepped on the foot switch again. He could hear the motor running but the windlass was not turning. He pulled the anchor up the rest of the way and secured it. We motored to the fuel dock as we planned and he would take a look at it there.
I practiced my helm skills and steered to the fuel dock. While I was fueling the aft tank, Rich took a look at the windlass from below. The top of the windlass was no longer flush with the underside of the deck. It was hanging a few inches down, suspended by the ground strap. All 5 of the bolts that hold the windlass to the deck had been sheared off.
This was not good. This was not part of the plan.
We arranged to get slip space at Pt. Ludlow Yacht Club. Once secured to the dock, Rich looked at the damage further and we decided on a new plan. After a few calls we arranged for a rental car at Poulsbo and a taxi ride to get us there. Once we had transportation we drove to Tacoma Screw in East Bremerton for some replacement bolts. Unfortunately the longest bolts were only 6 inches and we really needed 6 1/2 inch long bolts. So we drove to Pt Townsend to Admiral Ship Supply and bought 8 inch long stainless steel bolts. The original bolts were chrome plated brass that we had installed in 2000 when we did the first refit of Windarra. These special bolts cost about $60 a piece from the manufacturer, Maxwell in New Zealand. So the stainless steel bolts at $13 a piece seemed like a good replacement.
Friday morning, Rich took the windlass apart and we installed the new bolts. A few he had to cut down so they would fit. Luckily we have a die set on board to chase the threads. With the windlass back installed we checked it out. No joy. We surmise that when the bolts broke, the gears failed as well. This is not good.
So we hop back in the car, take the Kingston ferry to Edmonds and then drive to our storage unit to pick up our spare windlass. We have been exchanging these two windlasses, having the motors rebuilt to keep them operational. After the storage unit, a quick stop to pick up our mail and Costco to get some vacuum packing bags we are in the ferry line on a late Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, Rich removed the windlass with the bad gearbox and connected the one from the storage unit. We do a quick test before installing it completely. I step on the foot switch, the shaft turns which is good, but wait, it is turning counter clockwise. The windlass is built to power in both directions. When we had the motor rebuilt the last time, the shop indicated that one set of stators were bad and it would only power in one direction. Unfortunately it is in the wrong direction for our needs. It can only power to let out chain, not to bring in chain and raise the anchor.
We have two windlasses, one with a broken gearbox and the other with the wrong set of stators. Unfortunately the motors are not interchangeable and neither are the stators. This is not a good thing. This was not part of the plan.
Our friends, Doug and Nancy, who live on Bainbridge Island and were on their way to Port Townsend for the weekend, picked us up from Poulsbo after we dropped of the rental car. We joined them for brunch on Sunday morning.
After brunch we motored Windarra back to Shilshole.
The new plan is to find moorage for Windarra, then arrange to get a new windlass, install it and then leave again. In the mean time while we wait for the new windlass to arrive, we have plenty of other boat projects, like connecting the new solar panels, the water maker, etc. etc.
We are going through the 4 stages of grief. The first stage is the shock that the windlass was broken. The next stage is the denial that the windlass can not be repaired. The following stage is the anger that this happened at all and that we are not out cruising like we planned. The last stage is acceptance, that it is time to replace the windlass and it is better to do this in Seattle where we have access to our car and the storage unit and marine stores, etc.
Hopefully things will go according to the new plan……..
Glad you got things squared away. Isn't it customary to sing a windlass chantey when hauling up the anchor? Perhaps something like:
ReplyDeleteHeave her up and away we'll go
Heave away, Windarra!
Heave her up, and away we'll go
All the way to Alaska-o.