We decided that cruising in
the part of the Baltic we had seen was not our type of cruising. We like
anchorages and meeting like minded cruisers. It was therefore decided to head
back through the Kiel canal and have a gentle cruise through the Friesian Islands .
But the engine was making
distressing noises again just like when the drive plate had failed. I emailed
the company who manufactures the plate stating what had happened and said that
I expected them to send another to us without charge as when I had asked them
they said the one supplied by their Dutch agent would be fine. I then
telephoned them and was amazed at the response. I have been using their
products for decades and can not believe the negative response I got.
I ordered a replacement from
another source which got lost in the TNT hacking fiasco.
When we were approaching Kiel and motor sailing we
began to hear more noises as we heeled. I began to suspect that the engine
mounts were failing. This was something surprising as I had only replaced them
nine months before. When we arrived at the waiting pontoon for the canal and I
could examine things properly I found that the mounts has failed. Problem is
they came from the same company as the drive plate.
Deciding to use another
'Vetus' type mounting I tried to find some in the Kiel
area as it appeared that trusting the parcel carriers from the UK would be
unwise.
Eventually I found another
make which has the same specification as the Vetus ones and with some slight adjustments
they were fitted.
All the noises stopped!!
After a week on the pontoon
we headed through the canal stopping in a couple of places and then stopping in
Cuxhaven for a couple of nights before taking the only Easterly winds forecast
for a long time and went and anchored behind one of the Friesian islands, Wangerooge,
where we dried Ti Gitu out and gave her a long overdue bottom scrub.
The drive plate never
arrived. It was on a TNT two day delivery service and after about ten days when
the tracking started working again it showed as having been delivered and
signed for by someone with a Rhodesian name. The supplier is asking TNT to find
the parcel and return it.
I have told the company who
supplied the engine mounts about the failure and they requested photographs and
other details which I presume they will send the manufacturer. It will be
interesting to see the outcome.
We are currently making our
way West through the Frisians and in a few days hope to be at Lauweroog in Holland where we will enter the canal system for a while
going round to Harlingen .
Although we have seen it before and it will be busy with boats the Dutch canal
system in really nice and there is plenty to see and easy cycling to different
places. I think the canals are nicer than either the area of the Baltic we saw
or the Frisian islands which all seem to be
tourist traps.
Poly Flex is a good Australian company that makes engine mounts and flexible couplings. Not cheap but they certainly last.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Thanks for that Drew, I will have a loot at them.
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