This off-season I had decided to tackle the engine. Although over the years it had been pretty reliable it now looked a little tatty, the paint particularly on the rear of the engine was gone with lots of rust showing. I considering getting a new engine, perhaps a beta marine instead of the Yanmar but decided to best thing was to hoik the old Yanmar out, strip it down and inspect it and then make the decision..
Once the boat was out of the water, shored up in the yard, It didn’t take long to disconnect it and then the yard hoisted it out for me and lowered into the back of my trailer. I could take it home and strip it in my garage. It would give me something to do over winter.
The engine before rebuild
First look made me glad I had taken it out and I was soon stripping it down which revealed a few problems so a list of work and parts needed started. Digital photography is a great boon these days. Quick snaps of the disassembly process with a mobile phone give you a record of how things come apart and even of what they are! It helps to have a nice spare bench to lay out all the bits in order, grouped together or in separate trays. As work progressed I reckoned that with a rebuild there was no need for a new engine, and the extra work and expense that would entail.
Rocker cover off – spot the missing valve cap
Dismantling the head and lifting off the rocker assembly, I at first thought I had dropped one of the valve caps but close inspection and I realised it had been assembled with one missing. Worse was on removing the injectors, one came out easily enough the other was stuck. Eventually I freed it and then the reason for it’s ‘stuckness’ revealed. It had been assembled without the essential domed top of the injector chamber and heat shield washers. There were some curses for the bodge artist who last had had the engine apart and put it back together with the parts missing. No wonder that it hadn’t been running so smoothly.
Cylinder head before cleaning
The internal water ways in the block and head were badly ‘limed” up so I cleaned these by sealing off the outlets and filling the passages up with cheap white vinegar. This fizzed reassuringly with plenty of bubbles so you knew it was doing it’s work. Flushed out after an overnight soak the passageways were nice and clean.
The block cleaned off and primed
With the block stripped of old paint, wire brushed and de greased, it was time to repaint. What to use? In the end it seemed a choice between tractor enamel or Rustoleum, I opted for Rustoleum as there were favourable comments about it on various forums. 2 coats of primer and 2 of top coat were used and the rest of the engine parts similarly treated. The resulting colour was a little more silvery than the original Yanmar paint. Time will tell if it is nicely durable.
Repainted block & head
Gradually the engine went back together, a new oil seal behind the flywheel, valves ground in, a new external oil pipe, new valve oil seals and cap, new injector nozzles, the correct ignition chamber parts and some other bits. I even built a sort of frame for the trailer to which I could bolt the engine so it didn’t slide around when I would take it back to the yard. By the end of January it was all done, ready to fit back in the boat. That would wait until later when the days were a little longer and hopefully warmer.
I had made a start on the winter work schedule just about as soon as the lockdown easing at the end of April allowed me to travel down to the boat yard. I made a start and got a fair bit done but then was interrupted by a spell of cold and wet weather which put a stop to the work. It wasn’t until almost the end of May that finally we had some good weather and I was able to proceed with fitting out. Of course there is always far more to do than you first anticipate and it all takes longer than expected. There were few nonessential things I wanted to do but decided to put off.
Eventually it was all done and the Sea Bear was ready to go back in the water.
A few days after the yard told me that she was back on her mooring I went down to Pin Mill with Wendy for company. It was a lovely hot sunny day and after dinghying out to the boat we had a leisurely afternoon just settling in and relaxing.
Wendy & Sea Bear
Pin Mill Sunset
Next morning we slipped away from the mooring, there was no much wind but we did care about that, just sailed and drifted slowly down the river. It was Wendy’s first trip in the area so she was happy to have plenty of time to enjoy the sights. We decided not to go too far and once past Harwich we just headed for the Pye End buuy and hence to the channel to the Walton Backwaters. I though to anchor off Stone point, never having anchored there before but once there I wasn’t too happy with the Anchorage, it either felt too close in and too shallow for when the tide ebbed of far too close to the channel to be truly relaxing so we moved into Hamford water to anchor – much more relaxing. Not long ad after we had settled the wind increased and veered to the NE. This created quite a chop so it was a little uncomfortable for a while but it later eased.
Next morning we spotted a pair of Avocets working along the shoreline, it was the first time I had ever seen these distinctive birds.
Once the tide had risen enough we set off back out the channel and could just hold the line close hauled so had a good sail back to the mooring.
There was enough tide for us to go ashore and have a walk though Pin Mill woods.
Pin Mill views
Returning back I made a classic mistake in that I overlooked the old age dictum of time and tide wait for no man. Actually it was the lure of a pint in the Butt & Oyster, which was perhaps my downfall. Maybe after it was excusable, as I had not had a pint in a pub since before lockdown, October last year, and even so that was just once since lockdown had started way back in March the previous year.
Wendy queried whether we would have the time before the tide dropped but anyway the pint prevailed but sure enough back at the pontoon and the dinghy was high & dry. And so it was that I made my first acquaintance with Pin Mill mud – I won’t so easily make that mistake again!
They say a man can’t live by work alone so it’s not been all work and no play. More work on Sea Bear yes, a SS bash plate for the bow. I thought the existing anchor a little on the light side so a new 15kg Manson supreme anchor with 50 m of 8mm graduated chain and 50m of 14mm anchorplait rode to complete the new anchoring arrangement. I replaced a lower shroud which was mysteriously bent. Stripped re-painted and re-assembled the pumps for the heads and cleaned and regreased the seacocks. Stripped and overhauled all 8 winches.
Bash plate
For a break I headed north in the van up to Maitai bay on the Karikari peninsular. I had been there before but such a beautiful place and good campsite it was worth a second visit. A lovely spot for a swim and I also took a long walk along a deserted beach then a track up to Tapakakeno hill with great views up and down the coast.
Maitai Bay
I also visited Puheke beach and walked up Mt Puheke again good views. I hadn’t been my intention but I found myself drawn to visit Cape Reinga, almost the most northerly point of North Island. It is wild empty country up there.
Cape Reinga
A steepish gravel road for which NZ is famous for took me to a campsite at Tapotupotu beach.
Tapotupotu campsite
Next morning it rained so I headed back south but stopped awhile at the Te Paki giant sand dunes, the rain stopped and I had an exhausting climb up the highest dune, one step up then sliding backwards in soft sand.
Te Paki sand dunes
Resumed working on the boat, much cleaning, some revarnishing. I fitted some lazy jacks to help handle what would be a very slippery and stiff new mainsail. Refitted the stripper rope cutter to the propshaft. Rebuilt the spare autopliot with new drive belts. Eyespliced a chain hook to a length of 3strand rope for an anchor strop. Stripped and greased furling system. Checking over the engine, I replaced the water pump hoses, decided I needed a new water pump for it. Took off the monitor self steering for a crack in the tubing to be repaired. More cleaning, cutting back and polishing the gelcoat of the topsides and cabin so Sea Bear looking much better.
Starting to think of the coming sailing season it was time to review my stock of charts. Another trip in the campervan down to Auckland to visit the chart agent and buy some charts and pilot books. I took the opportunity to visit the Waitakere Ranges to the west of Auckland, I had been rained off here last year. It was a shame that quite a few of the tracks were closed due to Kauri dieback disease but did get a nice walk in through the forest. Off then to Piha beach, a great west coast beach famous for its surf, Walked up Lion rock.
Piha Beach from Lion Rock
Another walk up the Kitekite valley to get to the Kitekite falls. The plunge pool at the bottom was just too inviting so a bathe was taken – refreshing the verdict.
Kitekite Falls
Next stop was Karekare beach, a short walk through trees to the black sand beach. The sand was just too hot for my bare feet. It’s a big empty beach with wild surf and dangerous rip currents so I didn’t swim here. Back over to the East coats and Snell’s beach then up to Goat Island marine reserve. The idea was to swim with the fishes but soon after arrival a rain squall turned up, heavy rain and a choppy sea. A section of gravel track over the hill took me back northwards, this one not dry and dusty but muddy slippy and running with water and it rained all the way back to Whangarei and most of the next day too. Good weather soon returned though, it is still very warm here in the day, still shorts and vest weather but you can feel a gradually change of the seasons, the nights are drawing in and the odd morning is a little chilly at first.
I thought that by now I would have already been back afloat, but there is still awhile until the end of the southern cyclone season and the time to sail away from NZ. Most of the work is now done on the boat but there are always little jobs like checking the navigation lights still work – ah well then lets check the deck plugs, ah a bit of corrosion, a broken wire sounds simple but takes hours to fix, my soldering iron is not working so a visit to the second hand tool shop for one, new plug needed – off to the chandelery for one, before you know it the day has gone. I swarmed up the mast today to check all the standing rigging swages, clevis pins and split pins and lubricate the halyard sheaves. The climbing know how helps here and a harness and a shunt on a tied off halyard makes it safe enough.
Sea Bear now has a rear arch fitted. A process that started way back in April has now come to fruition. I had a local fabricator make me up a stainless steel tubular structure which is now fitted in place.
At last after much work over the winter Sea Bear is back in the water. The stormy weather of the early part of the winter had delayed progress a little, but now just about all jobs were done. As well as the usual maintenance, the old standing rigging had been replaced, a new furlex fitted, and whilst the mast was down I had mast steps fitted and some clutches to make halyard control better, the old jammers on the coach roof which had proved not so good at jamming, were also replaced with clutches.
The refurbished cockpit
The teak laid cockpit seats had been refurbished and looked like new. The CQR anchor had been relegated to backup duties by a new Mason Supreme anchor, we were getting all modern and up to date you see. Below decks, the old engine mounts, one of which was well and truly shot, had been replaced. I had fitted a new AIS transponder and replaced the depth and log instruments with more modern versions and all internal light bulbs replaced with LEDs and finally a water filter fitted for the drinking water.
In the boat yard ready & waiting for launch.
It was now just a matter of getting her put back in the water. I’ll confess I find launch day about the most stressful day in the sailing year. It’s not just the hoist but what the weather will be like, the waiting and have you remembered everything.
As with any new to you boat there is bound to be some work to be attended to. Some you enter into purchase knowing about, some brought to your attention by the surveyors report and some are just things you would like to do.
With Sea Bear the two major jobs were to replace the stern tube rubber and strip off the many old layers of anti-foul. Having scraped off the anti foul on my last boat by hand, this was not a task I wanted to repeat. So it was a just a case of paying a contractor to do the job for me. Easier on the labour, harder on the pocket.
Replacing the stern gland I did myself. In theory a relative straightforward job, but like any job on a boat its ease or otherwise is dictated by access. To gain access on a Vancouver means either removing the engine or laying over it to reach the stern gland. This I discovered is not much fun.
Once the old stern gland was removed I decide to replace the whole thing. Accordingly I had a new stern gland/stuffing box made up for me. Maybe I am a little old fashioned but I prefer the traditional stuffing box over other shaft seals. This I fitted with a remote greaser.
