Back through the Kiel canal and engine problems

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.