Yesterday, we set off a little after high water bound for Harwich. We got about half a mile!
We'd just finished hosting the sails downstream of the moorings when the engine died with all the symptoms of fuel starvation
Our best efforts at tacking back upriver to pick up a buoy were thwarted by the light wind and ebb tide so we anchored just up from Shortpole
I knew we had ample diesel cos I'd checked! The fuel tap was on (wouldn't be the first time) and there was fuel in the filter bowl
I worked my way through the rest of the fuel system but no joy. There was diesel all the way to the injectors but no action when the engine was cranked
By now, I was starting to worry about killing the batteries so a call to the yard arranged a tow back up to the pontoon
One we were back alongside and I'd had another closer look at the engine manual I realised there is another bleed screw on the injector pump that I hadn't found
And in the process of reaching for it I found a loose blanking plug on the pump housing. With that sorted and the fuel lines bled properly she started and soon settled down to run smoothly. An hour long test in gear at cruising revs indicated all was well again
It was now late morning and we decided it was too late to try for Harwich and neither of us felt like going down to Burnham so we stayed put.
I'd noted when hoisting the sails that both the main and mizzen halyards were getting well worn so I popped out for some string and made up new ones.
With those duly rigged, we settled down for dinner on board and an early night
This morning was a case of Deja Vu. Same time, same place, different result though
In light Easterly airs we motored down past Burnham and then, with the wind shifting a bit to the south and a few knots more of it to boot we set sail and stopped the engine
It was by no measure a fast sail but we made good progress to the Spitway and then onwards up the Wallet until the tide turned foul north of Frinton
With more wind, and more had been forecast, we'd have made the Naze on the tide but it wasn't too be. We were in no particular hurry though so we continued under sail albeit at times making only a couple of knots at best over the ground
It was champagne sailing anyway right up to the point where we cleared the Naze and laid the course for Harwich. The wind had veered (or backed, I can never remember which is which) further south and we were now on a dead run with barely enough breeze to fill the sails
What's more, an oddly nasty little chop had got up. It looked like nothing much but with no real boat speed it was irritating.
So it was on with the engine and make haste to Harwich. We were pleased to find free berths on the inside of Ha'penny Pier and doubly pleased to pull off a neat piece of parallel parking and mooring up despite having an audience!
Jane promptly buggered off to buy an ice cream leaving me to put on a harbour stow. She ought to know that the ship comes first. However, she got me an ice cream too so she was forgiven
Apart from a bit of swell and the rather noisy pontoons, it's a nice place to be. We're going to take a run ashore to the Alma tonight, just like old times!
Tomorrow, Southwold beckons
We'd just finished hosting the sails downstream of the moorings when the engine died with all the symptoms of fuel starvation
Our best efforts at tacking back upriver to pick up a buoy were thwarted by the light wind and ebb tide so we anchored just up from Shortpole
I knew we had ample diesel cos I'd checked! The fuel tap was on (wouldn't be the first time) and there was fuel in the filter bowl
I worked my way through the rest of the fuel system but no joy. There was diesel all the way to the injectors but no action when the engine was cranked
By now, I was starting to worry about killing the batteries so a call to the yard arranged a tow back up to the pontoon
One we were back alongside and I'd had another closer look at the engine manual I realised there is another bleed screw on the injector pump that I hadn't found
And in the process of reaching for it I found a loose blanking plug on the pump housing. With that sorted and the fuel lines bled properly she started and soon settled down to run smoothly. An hour long test in gear at cruising revs indicated all was well again
It was now late morning and we decided it was too late to try for Harwich and neither of us felt like going down to Burnham so we stayed put.
I'd noted when hoisting the sails that both the main and mizzen halyards were getting well worn so I popped out for some string and made up new ones.
With those duly rigged, we settled down for dinner on board and an early night
This morning was a case of Deja Vu. Same time, same place, different result though
In light Easterly airs we motored down past Burnham and then, with the wind shifting a bit to the south and a few knots more of it to boot we set sail and stopped the engine
It was by no measure a fast sail but we made good progress to the Spitway and then onwards up the Wallet until the tide turned foul north of Frinton
With more wind, and more had been forecast, we'd have made the Naze on the tide but it wasn't too be. We were in no particular hurry though so we continued under sail albeit at times making only a couple of knots at best over the ground
It was champagne sailing anyway right up to the point where we cleared the Naze and laid the course for Harwich. The wind had veered (or backed, I can never remember which is which) further south and we were now on a dead run with barely enough breeze to fill the sails
What's more, an oddly nasty little chop had got up. It looked like nothing much but with no real boat speed it was irritating.
So it was on with the engine and make haste to Harwich. We were pleased to find free berths on the inside of Ha'penny Pier and doubly pleased to pull off a neat piece of parallel parking and mooring up despite having an audience!
Jane promptly buggered off to buy an ice cream leaving me to put on a harbour stow. She ought to know that the ship comes first. However, she got me an ice cream too so she was forgiven
Apart from a bit of swell and the rather noisy pontoons, it's a nice place to be. We're going to take a run ashore to the Alma tonight, just like old times!
Tomorrow, Southwold beckons
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