Rio Grande
15/12/10 00:59 Filed in: Brazil
After a very relaxing sleep I got up early to tidy the boat and have a closer look at the failed shaft coupling.
It was possible to slide the shaft back and forth with the coupling having no grip at all. This was not supposed to happen. After the last failure I had the Yanmar dealer in Galmpton repair the coupling.
The standard unit is secured with four allen bolts and a "key" which is supposed to locate in a recess on the shaft. None of these appear to have worked and I was unable to tighten the allen bolts. In Galmpton the engineer added a grub screw as added security. This appeared to be functional.
After tightening the grub screw as much as I dared I tested the engine and the coupling held. After weighing anchor at 09:40 we slowly got under way.
Rio Grande shipyard.
After a few minutes I increased the revs a bit and the coupling failed again. The process was repeated with another failure after 5 minutes. After tightening the grub screw a third time I resolved to proceed at minimum revs. The coupling held.
Conditions were more or less perfect with a gentle breeze giving an extra half a knot with the yankee deployed.
At 11:10, approaching inner harbour buoy #01 with 4 miles to go the coupling was holding.
Lots of floating weed patches.
Turkish bulker "Duden" gutted by fire lying at her berth in Rio Grande. Her cargo of urea caught fire off the Brazilian coast and she was towed in by the Brazilian navy. She is currently under arrest and abandoned by her owners.
The old port.
Maritime museum.
Refurbished Hungarian Ganz crane.
More of the old port.
One mile to go and the coupling is still holding. Speed under power around 1 knot.
Maritime museum dock with Rio Grande Yacht Club beyond.
Entry buoys to Rio Grand Yacht Club.
Arrival at Rio Grand Yacht Club. It is quite shallow at the entrance. I had 1.3-1.5 metres.
Conditions remained benign and I ghosted into a visitor berth at 13:40. Phew!
This is a very attractive club. Some of the wooden docks are a bit tired but the facilities in general are very good. The cost is R$1(£0.40) per foot per day which for Kiriwina is R$28 (£10.70) per day. The Real has appreciated some 30% since I first arrived almost three years ago. Brazil certainly seems more expensive now.
It was possible to slide the shaft back and forth with the coupling having no grip at all. This was not supposed to happen. After the last failure I had the Yanmar dealer in Galmpton repair the coupling.
The standard unit is secured with four allen bolts and a "key" which is supposed to locate in a recess on the shaft. None of these appear to have worked and I was unable to tighten the allen bolts. In Galmpton the engineer added a grub screw as added security. This appeared to be functional.
After tightening the grub screw as much as I dared I tested the engine and the coupling held. After weighing anchor at 09:40 we slowly got under way.
Rio Grande shipyard.
After a few minutes I increased the revs a bit and the coupling failed again. The process was repeated with another failure after 5 minutes. After tightening the grub screw a third time I resolved to proceed at minimum revs. The coupling held.
Conditions were more or less perfect with a gentle breeze giving an extra half a knot with the yankee deployed.
At 11:10, approaching inner harbour buoy #01 with 4 miles to go the coupling was holding.
Lots of floating weed patches.
Turkish bulker "Duden" gutted by fire lying at her berth in Rio Grande. Her cargo of urea caught fire off the Brazilian coast and she was towed in by the Brazilian navy. She is currently under arrest and abandoned by her owners.
The old port.
Maritime museum.
Refurbished Hungarian Ganz crane.
More of the old port.
One mile to go and the coupling is still holding. Speed under power around 1 knot.
Maritime museum dock with Rio Grande Yacht Club beyond.
Entry buoys to Rio Grand Yacht Club.
Arrival at Rio Grand Yacht Club. It is quite shallow at the entrance. I had 1.3-1.5 metres.
Conditions remained benign and I ghosted into a visitor berth at 13:40. Phew!
This is a very attractive club. Some of the wooden docks are a bit tired but the facilities in general are very good. The cost is R$1(£0.40) per foot per day which for Kiriwina is R$28 (£10.70) per day. The Real has appreciated some 30% since I first arrived almost three years ago. Brazil certainly seems more expensive now.