I DID NOT see that coming....

My partner Fiona will roll her eyes if you asked her how much time I have spent on the boat, going through all of the mechanicals and systems to ensure it's all in good working order.  Today we went for a wonderful sail in Tauranga's protected harbour, and hit speeds of 6.5kts in very calm water.

We set up for docking in our marina slip, the wind was directly on the nose at 16kts, so she needed some forward throttle to get her in...just as I went to shift into reverse and bring her to a perfect stop for Fe to step off and tie her down...the gear selector lever literally came off in my hand.  I stopped the engine immediately (otherwise it would have smashed into the dock), jumped off and we both pulled like crazy to fight the wind pushing her back out.

Epilogue:


There is a shear screw that holds the lever onto the gear shaft, and it is likely 25yrs old...well...it sheared.  I would not in a million years thought the replace this screw, or that it was bearing the full shear load from each shift over all these years.

In any case, I'm nothing if not lucky...had it happened as we were leaving the slip a few hours earlier, we would have likely gone straight into the rocks (I would have had 5 seconds to drop the anchor).

My advice, replace yours right now.

You can see the head of the screw...but where's the rest?  Sheared off in the gear shaft...that's where.

New bog...

Perhaps not glamorous work, but important nonetheless.  The 12V head started working intermittently, and when I tried to service it, many of the screws holding the motor to the toilet broke off.  So I purchased an entirely-new unit from Burnsco Marine.  It took an afternoon to install, plumb, and wire, and it certainly does look and function much better.  The original toilet would have been manual (?), but this old 12V unit was at least a decade or two old, judging by the corrosion of the hardware and the state of the motor.

I begin to sense that many components on Kiss Kiss are in need of replacement...such as it is with boat ownership.

Working down the list

I made a list of "to-do's" on the boat, ranked in order of priority based on safety-impact.  #1 were the lifelines, which were quite badly corroded from end to end.  The plastic coated wire is (IMHO) a danger in that it masks the corrosion beneath until such time as it gets brittle enough to crack.

I have had the top and bottom wires completely replaced with uncoated stainless wire, both top and bottom 5mm.

I've also replaced the main halyard with spectra line.  The old one was chafing badly, and had worn through the cover in one spot.

Cool Things ~ Stitch it Awl

I have been looking for an all-around tool for repairing worn seams in cockpit cushions and for finishing my double-braided eye-splices.

I came across an advertisement for the "Stitch it Awl" in Practical Boat Owner, noted that it was Australian, and therefore not too far away.  I ordered the full kit and it arrived within a week.

Interesting, it is made in Airlie Beach, Qld, which is not only one of the most beautiful places on earth, it is also the site of my last vacation (4 years ago!...I work too hard).

In any case, without doubt one of those things that all sailors must own...and in the top 10 of my all-time cool gadgets.

Extremely well-built, heavy stainless steel.  Nice wooden box.