The repair on the gen set seems to have worked - hurrah! Now we can move again, clever Richard.
The inverter is a different matter & according to Xantrex is an expensive, in warranty, throw away item. Guess what our valentine day present will be?
With AC power partially restored yesterday we motored up to Nai Yang in a very rolly anchorage as there was a NW swell and an unseasonal westerly wind. In the evening our friends on Cankata organised a dinghy raft up for sundowners. 9 dinghies with 23 people drifted along enjoying the sunset and the camaraderie.
Today we will continue in day hops towards Ko Phayam, just south of the Myanmar border and then to the Surins and Similans.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Run up to Friday 13th - lost bikini top and electric BOAT* issues
Our genset had been becoming slower and slower to start, with smoke coming out on the inlet manifold. Eventually, on the Tuesday after New Year it failed entirely to start. Richard embarked on a "top end overhaul" to restore compression and get it running again. This was successfully done over a period of about 3 days. Lack of the genset is usually a minor annoyance as we can charge the batteries using the main engine for about an hour a day to supplement solar and wind power. In this mode "mains" AC is produced by an inverter. However, attempting to make bread on two successive days resulted in flat unrisen pieces of dough. Investigation revealed that the inverter, which is only 2 years old,instead of producing 230 volts at 50 Hertz, was producing 225 volts (OK), but at 100Hz.
With the genset working again, and breadmaking restored, we returned to Nai Harn, where the laundry service produces better results than that on offer at Panwa Bali and we can hire a car to go shopping in preparation for a trip to the Surin and Similan islands.
In the windier conditions Susan lost the top of her best bikini from the guard rail.
Unfortunately, the genset had still not finished with us.
While running the genset to charge the batteries, the bilge pump suddenly came on. Investigating the source of the water showed a steady stream coming from inside its enclosure. Further investigation showed a spray of water coming from around the cylinder block. Immediate reaction was that R had used the wrong O rings on the water channels when rebuilding the engine. Off came the cylinder head, the O rings were checked and supplemented with a liberal dose of gasket sealant, the head replaced and the genset restarted. The leak was still there. Closer examination revealed that it was coming out in a powerful jet from the bottom of the water jacket of the cylinder block. The engine was stripped for the third time, the hole cleaned up and patched with steel extended epoxy and the engine put back together again. The current situation is that the epoxy has been allowed to set overnight, the valve clearances need to be reset and we will then see if the temporary fix has worked.
Watch this space!
* BOAT = "Bring out another thousand"- expression borrowed from SV Crystal Blues' blog. Unfortunately theirs are Aussie dollars, ours are pounds, although the two move ever closer!
.
With the genset working again, and breadmaking restored, we returned to Nai Harn, where the laundry service produces better results than that on offer at Panwa Bali and we can hire a car to go shopping in preparation for a trip to the Surin and Similan islands.
In the windier conditions Susan lost the top of her best bikini from the guard rail.
Unfortunately, the genset had still not finished with us.
 |
| The lower hole shouldn't be there! |
While running the genset to charge the batteries, the bilge pump suddenly came on. Investigating the source of the water showed a steady stream coming from inside its enclosure. Further investigation showed a spray of water coming from around the cylinder block. Immediate reaction was that R had used the wrong O rings on the water channels when rebuilding the engine. Off came the cylinder head, the O rings were checked and supplemented with a liberal dose of gasket sealant, the head replaced and the genset restarted. The leak was still there. Closer examination revealed that it was coming out in a powerful jet from the bottom of the water jacket of the cylinder block. The engine was stripped for the third time, the hole cleaned up and patched with steel extended epoxy and the engine put back together again. The current situation is that the epoxy has been allowed to set overnight, the valve clearances need to be reset and we will then see if the temporary fix has worked.
Watch this space!
* BOAT = "Bring out another thousand"- expression borrowed from SV Crystal Blues' blog. Unfortunately theirs are Aussie dollars, ours are pounds, although the two move ever closer!
.
New Year celebrations
After a windy few days at Nai Harn, with swell making getting ashore difficult, Sea Bunny moved back to Panwa Bali for New Year,spent in the company of Neil & Ley. The New Year was seen in on Crystal Blues after dinner on Sea Bunny. We had views of at least three firework displays - fairly low key locally at Panwa Bali, across the bay at Ao Chalong and over the hills at Patong. Earlier in the evening there was a bit of excitement as some idiot let off parachute flares, one of which appeared to land, still burning, on the deck of Daemon. Neil & Richard set off in the dinghy with a fire extinguisher, but it seems that it had actually landed in the water behind the boat, giving the appearance of being on the deck. Jill and Bruce were woken to enjoy th fireworks.
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