Giving up in Guadelope heaven forbid

29.04.2011

So here we are again. This morning we got ready for the launch at 9.00 a.m. Not a lot to do really so we switched on local t.v. and picked up the royal wedding. She was a beautiful bride. Managed to go and do a quick shop as well before 9 a.m.
The lift guy was bang on time. It is quite something to watch a huge 4 wheel drive lifting trolley slip its slings onto the keel of the boat and then take up the weight – 16 + tons. The guy who works it uses a small box shoulder strapped piece of equipment. He must have had a lot of practice on a play station when he was young as he manages to run it in very confined spaces – forward/reverse/up/down etc.

Anyway we were duly put back in the water and Fred was onboard to make sure that things were all in working order. As we began moving another boat was being pulled towards the lifting bay. Then we discovered that did not have any propulsion- bad words are totally recognisable in other languauges as well!! So poor John had to manoeuvre us away from the incoming boat and avoid the many obstacles around the area. One included a sunken motor boat. It had apparently gone down during the night. Most bizarre really. It was tied to the pontoon at the end and just went down. Fred said they don’t know what happened but that the boat just sits in the water and no-one appears to look after it. It may be that the batteries gave out and pumps etc weren’t working during the very very heavy rains we have been having so it just became water logged. So once again, we tied alongside Fred’s dock . We watched the divers prepare the sunken boat for recovery. It helped to distract us from our own problem.

What a problem – it would appear that despite all the work Fred has done – replacing the cutless bearing, impellor, stripping the prop and shaft out that the torque limitor is still a problem. The expensive repair in St Maarten seems to have been a bad one and the replacement is knackered as well. Interesting that despite sending them an e mail asking for their thoughts on the repair etc we have had absolutely no response from them – curious or what? You would think that they would at least respond with a negative no responsibility line. Fred admitted he could not repair the one as is and that getting a completely new one would take too long if it was possible anyway. What to do????

He disappeared and came back with his other engineer and they worked on the gear box and decided that it was a cone that was malfunctioning inside it. No problem – hopes high again. 10 minutes later – we were back in the world of swear words – it wasn’t that!!! So the plan now is to weld the torque limitor onto the gear box and secure it in place so it will act as a spacer only. Fred says the system is much too complicated for what it actually does and that the boat will be fine without it so long as the weld gives the right length and holds to enable the gears to engage. All a bit complicated for moi as most of you will appreciate but he does seem to know what he is doing and has a very good reputation around here. Trying hard to stave of the feeling of desperation.

So once more it is down to believing that the guy who has the expertise will come up trumps and enable us to get down to Trinidad. Need to spend a few days afloat around here to be sure that the thing will work and won’t immediately start overheating. Sailing is not an option as there is – yet again – no wind but an awful lot of rain throughout the area but exceptionally bad in Martinique. Seems like the weather of the world has gone a bit topsy turvy. All these poor people in US suffering from the tornados – so sad.

Watching the world go by this afternoon in the pouring rain – seems like this place may become home for quite a while – boo hoo!