Yep, Auckland.
There was a 35-40 knot wind blowing this morning & weather is not going to get better for a day or two. So we delayed as long as we could, fiddling around drinking coffee, having breakfast and checking every weather forecast before heading out to the boat.
This in-it-self was a mission as we have nowhere to store the outboard so have left it on Zinkwazi which means we (Rob) row. Tide is coming in and there is an onshore wind and Zinkwazi is on furtherest mooring. We have an inflatable with solid bottom – not the sleek canoes that Rob Hamill would row so rowing is challenging. But we set off and row and row. Our strategy is to row up to a boat taking advantage of whatever protection they offer then venture out and pick next boat.
In this erratic fashion we eventually reach Zinkwazi. Who is not rolling gunn’l to gunn’l – well not quite anyway. And anyway, what would be the fun in lifting a 200kg engine, disengaging and extracting an 80kg gear box in the dead calm? To add to the fun – Zinkwazi’s engine box is not luxurious in size – imagine having to work on your car engine, some kind person has taken the wheels off so you can get to it from both sides. But someone less kind has welded shut the bonnet. And there are some hazards such as the pipes for the cockpit drains and the prop shaft which when moved lets sea water into boat….
Using Rob’s lifting jacks, the engine lifting works a treat with frequent stops to remove stuff – till I’m wondering if there will be any engine left to lift because it seems to spread throughout the boat.
Eventually Rob can reach the last bolt and with some effort the gear box is free. Rob can now see the drive plate and his verdict is that it needs replacing. Whew – as this is the difference between a $500 repair and a +$3,000 repair.
But the drive plate is attached to the engine and is not budging. Rob tries everything – destroying a number of screw drivers trying to leaver it out. Fit is so tight that we can’t even get lubricating oil in to assist. I do make suggestions such as trying a soapy solution (what you’d use to get a tight ring off a finger – not that I share this with Rob). But my suggestions are quietly rejected. Eventually Rob destroys part of the centre and manages to get a long torque wrench extension down the shaft and with a bit of pressure the plate pops out.
Rob is in two minds about taking the gear box ashore as he thinks it is ok. But there is a well known law of the sea that states if you get the opportunity to check or fix something do it because if you don’t it will not work when you need it.
So we lug gear box into cockpit (by the way man-handle does exclude me) and lower into tender with a block. I empty deepfreeze into 3 chilly bins and put laundry into bags and basket. All of this goes into tender. We close sea cocks lock boat and head ashore. Now you might be think we are mad after the problems in rowing out, especially as wind has got up a bit, and indeed I think Rob has lost it. But we get into tender and Rob rows. And going with the wind and tide it is like being turbo charged and we are ashore in no time.
We load everything into car, park tender, go back to bach where I put frozen stuff in freezer and Rob has a shower. Then we head down to Auckland as it will be far easier to get everything done and I can get laundry done.
We pick up Nandos and get home at 7:00 p.m.