Wellness for our boat
Our "tired cow" comes to life
Text: Christian / Pictures & short films: Carola
After enjoying a few relaxing days, it's time to give our boat some attention for the start of the season. Although the to-do list is much smaller this time than last year, there is still an important appointment at the dock: engine maintenance and rig check.
Getting up early is the order of the day. The alarm clock rings at 07:00 and I (Chris) struggle to get out of the warm bed. The thought of a good coffee helps me get up. We prepare the boat for the ten-minute journey to the boatyard and excitedly turn the ignition key. Once again, the engine struggles to start. After a long 20 seconds, it finally comes to life. We can leave the pier. We gently chug out of the marina. We enjoy our first trip in the sunshine to the full.
Runs
We chug along leisurely
Happy
As we approach the dock, we quickly realise that there is already a motorboat where we want to moor. Nobody is there to direct us. While Caro does an extra round, I call Dennis from the boatyard. He quickly hurries over to instruct us. We moor our Blue Wave to the bollards behind the motorboat. The motorboat is moved forwards and we also move forward a boat length.
Darren, the mechanic, arrives, protects the cockpit with cardboard and starts to service the engine. He carefully checks everything, changes the oil, replaces the oil and diesel filters and replaces the impeller and V-belt.
Placed on the side of the dock
Our boat is being moved
Engine maintenance is in full progress
But why is the engine so difficult to start? The electrics are tested, the glow plugs checked, the ignition switched on and off. Everything seems to be in order.
Dann kommt Dennis, der Chef, und startet den Motor. Penibel achtet er im Kontrollpanel auf das Leuchten der Signallampe für das Vorglühen. Wartet zehn Sekunden, dreht den Schlüssel weiter und – oh Wunder – der Motor startet nach nur drei Anlassumdrehungen und läuft wie eine Nähmaschine.
It must take a ‘golden touch’, we think in amazement. But the solution is much more banal: we simply have to preheat the engine properly before starting. We test it again in disbelief. Sure enough, the engine starts up perfectly.
Nevertheless, we cannot fully explain the problem. The engine had been struggling to start since the beginning. But in autumn, the situation suddenly deteriorated noticeably.
Another problem is the electronics. Last summer and autumn, the electrics went ‘dead’ three times after turning the ignition key. Contact spray became our best friend and helped us out each time. We sprayed all the contacts on the back of the control panel so that we could then restart the car. Dennis thinks that the ignition lock is most likely the culprit. This seems plausible. So we order a new one, which then also has to be replaced.
The second important point concerns our rig. It was renewed in Croatia and should basically be in perfect condition. However, after more than a season of intensive use, we want to make sure that everything is working perfectly, so we have it checked. Dennis arrives with a mobile lifting platform, measures the electrical resistance at all terminals and records it carefully. The result: everything is in perfect order.
The mobile lifting platform is ready
Lifting platform in use
Measuring the electronic resistors
The last problem once again concerns our pressurised water system. We had a new pump installed in Greece after problems with the pump. But that didn't help for long. In late summer, the old problem with the pump reappeared: The pump switches on too late when the water pressure has dropped too low. Dennis ordered a new pressure sensor for the pump to solve the problem. This also seems logical, although I don't quite understand why the new component installed in Greece is already defective again.
But that's it at the dock. Satisfied, we cast off in the afternoon, do another round in the outer harbour and then moor up again at our jetty.
Over the next few days, we start the engine from time to time with a little suspicion, but our initial scepticism proves to be unfounded: After extensive pre-heating, the engine starts perfectly every time.
We can now cross off two important points on our to-do list. The third big item is mine: several joints on the deck need to be renewed. I'm hoping for a few days of dry weather while Caro visits her parents at home. Then that should be done too.
* ‘Tired cow’ is what our boat keeper in Croatia called the engine after it was started rather reluctantly after a long winter break.
Ready to file
Back at our jetty
Chris accompanies me to the airport before he can concentrate fully on his to-do list. In the meantime, I visit my parents and spend some quality time there.