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From: Norm of Bandersnatch (no email)
Date: Tue Jul 10 2007 - 09:49:32 EDT
Ahoy All,
Yesterday morning we pulled out of the Onset MA (a sweet little stopover)
channel into the approach to the southern entrance (locals call it the
western end) of the Cape Cod Canal around 11am, slack water just before the
favorable current was due to begin.
We cranked up the engine 100rpm above cruising to transit the canal but as
we drew abreast the Mass Maritime Academy campus I noticed the overheat
alarm light lit up and the temp gauge at 220 deg F (I really need to create
an audible alarm too).
I immediately throttled down to slow and headed for the nearest anchoring
spot about a quarter mile away. Jan took the wheel while I headed for the
engine room. I heard and found steam escaping from a preformed elbow in
the fresh water circuit of the cooling system. I found the hole by moving
a screwdriver blade around the elbow until the sound was affected.
We anchored. I found an old "used but good" elbow and with some struggle
involving undersized hose and hot engine I replaced the leaking elbow while
slowly replacing the lost water with a tiny stream from the engine room
fresh water hose.
After topping up the engine (while it is running to flush out the air
bubbles) we got underway again. Total lost time about 45 minutes.
Afterwards:
I inspected the bad elbow and found one small hole, like an ice pick hole.
I think I could have stopped the leak with a spiral clamp rather than
change the elbow.
I was grateful I had the "old" elbow, which seemed to be in better
condition than the one on the engine.
I should have changed the elbows before they failed (just last week I
preemptively changed the seals in the steering ram after 12 years), and I
should have had fresh, proper sized, spares on board.
We transited the canal and proceeded to Gloucester. The last 20 miles of
the trip was in dense fog, but our preplanned route in the GPS and our
antique radar guided us safely to port.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Gloucester Mass
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