The next day Yiannis , the local Kalamata engineer, came to the boat and made the repair in the water. They had a complete day trying to free the old shaft coupling bolts which eventualy had to be cut out , so in hind sight I am glad the job was not started in Pylos.
My temporary fix is the tape ! Rusty old bolts
The hole The seized bolts on coupling
Yiannis replacing new coupling All shiny & new except ……….!
We planned our departure date and again watched for a weather window for the crossing to Sicily. As it happened the only possible window loomed around the 8th November but I was still dubious about the weather & I bottled out giving we had also had an untested repair done and a long crossing. I am SO glad !!!
We secured a winter berth about 500 yards from where we were and moved the boat there and tied up. About an hour later as we were just about to go into town Louise shouted “the floorboards are coming up”
So literally it was “all hands to the pump” but the fecking pump failed !
So Louise, barefooted, runs round to the marineros for help while I am phoning Yiannis the engineer with one hand and trying to stem the leak with my T shirt in the other
As they all return I am barechested with blood pouring from my mouth, to this day I dont know what I did ,lol.
Anyhow the marineros’ electric bilge pump helped reduce the amount of water coming in until we had all the batteries & paraphernalia out to get access to the problem.
(For you “techies” , I think the stuffing box gland was overtightened, the locknut was not doing it’s job and the shaft grabbed the gland nut ,twisting it off, and the assembly parted letting in water)
Had we gone into town the boat could’ve sank at its mooring. Had we left for Sicily ………………….
Needless to say a few glasses of wine were had that night.
Calm after the storm
