We are getting ready to leave Nassau, again.
We had hoped that the new bearing would arrive in time for
the V-drive to be installed before the weekend and we would be back to the
outer islands. Obviously it did not
happen. Late Monday afternoon they showed
up with the V-drive and installed it. It
is a meticulous procedure to install; everything has to line up perfectly. They line it up, check it with a feeler
gauge, make an adjustment, check it again, make another adjustment and on and
on. Once everything checks out they
start tightening the bolts and again, check everything with a feeler gauge to
make sure everything is aligned. The
final checks are to turn the prop shaft and make sure there is no variation. Any misalignment will cause vibration and
wear. The final check is to start the
engine and see what happens when it is in gear.
So far everything checks out. It
is a several hour process and some of these fine adjustments are made with a
three pound hammer. Now I have to remind
myself to check the tightness of the bolts after running it several hours. Sometimes they will vibrate loose.
We had not planned on any of these stops in Nassau, or to
stay as long as we have so we are way behind in seeing the islands. We plan to leave here and head back to the
Staniel Cay area to continue south. How
far we get is anyone’s guess. The
weather forecast for the next few days is for light and variable winds then
clocking to the south, exactly where we are planning to go. We may give the new equipment a workout since
it doesn’t look like we will be sailing.
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