Out with the old…

This morning broke bright and clear, and we were high as a kite. Well, 8 feet higher than everyone else in Debdale Wharf marina, anyway.

Yesterday was blacking day, and we were pleased with the result of what Dean had done – everything underneath covered in a nice protective coating of bitumen paint – even the rudder.

The water Erin Mae has been getting in the engine compartment (about half a bucket a day for the last three weeks) has not been entering where the propellor emerges, however.

The shaft that drives it is lubricated by water, drawn from inside the weed hatch space above the propellor. It's the seal on that unit that developed the leak. So Jim came to fix it.

He loosened the faulty unit, released the prop shaft from the gear-box end, and slid it backwards.

He slipped the unit up the shaft and replaced it with the new one, making sure it had plenty of silicone grease packed in to keep the seals supple.

Then the prop shaft was pushed up again, and everything locked in place. Took him just over half an hour. Knowing what you're doing, and having the right tools to do it with, is a wonderful thing.

So we settled up with Steve for the blacking and the repair (ouch!), and were lowered back into the water to continue our adventure. Never a dull day, on the good ship Erin Mae.