So far we have just discussed food and recipes for the cook but this month I will try and address what Roger had to do to get the boat ready for a long extended sailing trip. When we headed off to Alaska we had an Atomic 4 engine which needs some parts which a diesel engine does not need so I will include them and mark them with an asterisk. Just as the kitchen required hours of shopping and loads of bags being brought to the boat, the engine and all those wonderful attachment which make it work require the same amount of time.
Roger did all the normal things like haul the boat, cleaned the bottom, attached the zincs, it actually looked like we were starting the race season. But below, in the engine compartment is where the most important work was being done. Belts were checked and changed if needed, oil was changed, filters were changed , impellers were replaced and all the regular maintenance was done. Even with all these things we were sometimes plagued with problems. When you have an engine and fuel tank which are 29 years old you are bound to have some difficulties. I used to kid Rog that he filled all his spare time with the engine so we wouldn’t have to play cards.
We started off with one gas filter on the boat but since then he has added another filter plus a priming bulb. Old fuel tanks which have junk in them create a certain challenge when the seas are rough and gas is sloshing around picking up particles. We never had bad gas on the trip, however we managed to provide our own. We also replaced an electric gas pump which we had sent priority mail to Juneau. The supplier told us it was cheaper and quicker to use the post office and they were right. It showed up 2 days after we had ordered it. In Wrangle our engine exhaust rusted through and sprayed sea water everywhere but luckily we didn’t have any damage. The local machine shop owner made a new one for us and we were on our way again. Talk about timing, we were just pulling away from the fuel dock in Wrangle so there were boats to push us over to the dock where we spent several days exploring beautiful down town Wrangle while the work was being done.
One of our most important tool was also something you wouldn’t expect. We had a problem with the engine overheating, we would motor a little while, the engine would get warm, we would hoist the sails in the non existent winds, drift until it cooled down, go a little further and repeat the process. We, actually Roger, tried everything he could think of. Finally he remembered an additional radiator which was tied to the heating system. I was able to get nice hot dry air to take the dampness out of the cabin but running that heater heated up the engine. We disconnected it and all our troubles were solved but while we had the problem my kitchen meat thermometer proved to be an invaluable tool for checking the actual temperature. It now has a permanent home on the boat.
So here are the spare parts we tucked into the cracks crannies of the boat: starter, alternator, spark plugs*, several oil filters, motor oil, antifreeze, impellers, fuel filters, electric fuel pump, gasket making material including material to make exhaust gaskets, tube of form a gasket, spare coil*, extra belts, duct tape and hose clamps. Along with all the extra parts we made sure we had an array of tools. These included the normal wrenches and pliers, open ended wrenches, torque wrenches, electric drill and a hack saw. In fact if it is a tool you think you might need, tuck it in.
Of course with this we also tucked in needles and thread for mending sails, a good first aid kit with lots of gauze pads in case you have a bad cut, an arm sling, sea sickness pills and ginger to help with that upset stomach, and your ditch bag with updated flares.
This is just a starting list and we hope it helps. I have some books I would be glad to loan the cook and there are many good articles written. I found some worked for us and some did not. If you decide to venture north you can purchase almost anything during your travels but it is more expensive and may cost you some extra time to get the parts shipped to you. But the adventure is definitely worth it.
SuzieShaffer, Boru