So we left Carrara feeling as though the refit would take place and things were getting planned. We left Carrara marina but after only a few minutes, the engine stopped, very suspicious of a lack of fuel in the system somewhere. Luckily there was a bit of wind and I managed to sail while Chris kept priming the system, running the engine until it stopped then priming again. In the end when the wind died completely the only way we could keep the engine from stopping was to run at very low revs all the way to Steno De Grazie and a safe anchorage. After successfully anchoring Chris set about trying to find the problem. The batteries had to come out, the floor boards lifted and the inspection hatch exposed so Chris could go in up to his shoulder’s in diesel (don’t try this at home children) to try to unblock the suction pipe and feel around to see if he could find what it was that might be being sucked up into the fuel pipe. A bit of loose paint and some fluff, but nothing major came out of the tank. We had inspected the tanks when we did the calibration so we weren’t surprised not to find anything swimming around in there. 

Chris was optimistic that we had been unlucky and the problem fuel blockage was now resolved. The engine ran while we were at anchor at high revs, so we thought we were out of trouble. 

On our way to Carrara, the autopilot had not worked, so that needs looking into. With our fingers crossed we tried the water maker with its new element in place, the element appeared good but after a few minutes the high pressure outlet hose burst, so until that is replaced we still don’t have a water maker. But before we could get to look at those, we discovered, while going ashore in the dinghy, that the outboard had a fuel system problem doing exactly the same as the main engine, stopping at high revs. So that was the next thing to look at. Chris took the outboard to pieces, checked the fuel hose, filter, and carburettor, but could not find anything that would be causing the fuel blockage. He had cleaned the carburettor before leaving it for the winter, there had been no fuel left in the engine over winter and we had put new clean fuel in this season, but the problem persist’s even though it starts beautifully and runs well whilst it does. 

With some gusty weather approaching we decided we needed more chain out. Chris went up to windlass, new last year, and started to try to let some chain out. Nothing happened, well it did, all the electrics started to alarm and flash and then the windlass stopped working. At first it looked as though it had seized up but Chris couldn’t understand how this would have happened. Much head scratching and thinking went on, before he decided to check the batteries. When we had taken the batteries out to check the fuel problem, one cable had got loose and was intermittently connecting and then not connecting, phew, our new windlass worked again once the cable had been secured. Unfortunately it did not solve the autopilot problem.

Despite all this, we decided to leave for Isola Capraia on the Sunday. That was until we looked at the most recent weather forecast. Last year coming up from the south we would have loved some southerly winds, but got northerlies right up until we reached Arnovecchio. Now that we want a nice NW or NE (that should be the prevailing winds for this time of year) we have a strong southerly. Not only that, the current and wave height were against us as well. So we decided to wait a while to see if the winds would change in our favour in the next few days, we had lots to keep us occupied while we waited! 

So Chris set to and made up an emergency fuel system in case the engine decided to give up again. Having only one fuel tank, we can’t swap over tanks if there is a problem, so an emergency supply had been on the job list for while. Chris managed to rig up the system and we decided to try it out when we on passage for Capraia.

While all this was happening, we managed to get ashore and find an antiquity to visit, Villa Romana Del Varignano, a Roman villa that, in its time, produced olive oil and shipped it out from the small port where we were anchored. It was a surprisingly large site with a small museum and well worth the visit. 

Another day we walked to Portovenere, the bay just south of us and visited the castle and the churches. It was surprisingly busy until we realised that La Spezia was a cruise ship port, most days a cruise ship would dock and unload its passengers for the day. 

The weather looked as though it was improving to leave on the 7th May although there would still be a swell against us, we would at least be on a beam reach to Isola Del Capraia. So we got up at 0500 in the morning to start our 61nm trip to Capraia. We had just got out of the bay and heading towards the breakwater, when a very large cruise ship was lining up to come in, we took avoiding action and were set to pass with it on our port side. As soon as we were next to one another, our engine cut out. There was little to no wind and while we did have the sails up, the cruise ship had taken what little wind there was in the sails. We did avoid it but then we were very close to the rocks and the fort at the entrance to the gulf having gone close to avoid the ship. Chris dived below and got the newly prepared emergency fuel system set up and after some priming of the hoses the engine started just before we drifted into shallow water and the fort. We had though, drifted into the Italian Naval restricted area. The good news was the emergency system worked well and we could go at full speed under load. However we were now faced with going to a very small island with no facilities with a dodgy fuel system. So reluctantly we turned back to the anchorage to make an other assessment of the engine problem. 

It took most of the day, but in the end he decided that the problem lay with the fuel pipe that was glassed into the top of the fuel tank and could not be changed. So hunting about in his extensive supply of fittings and fixtures (you never have the one you want no matter how many you keep) he managed to swap the engine fuel supply for the diesel heater fuel supply using the heater supply pipe. This time we decided to up anchor and go out to try out the new system before we set off at 0500 in the morning. The engine worked at full revs, under load, no coughing or spluttering or stopping. Fingers crossed for our passage to Capraia.

So now the to do list involves:-

Replace the high pressure water hose for the water maker

Get the outboard engine working

Look into the problem with the Autopilot (we do have the wind vane for when we are sailing)

Oh, to add insult to injury it is cold, very wet with thundery spells. The duvets have gone back on the beds and we are back in thermals.

 

Chris checking the Batteries and finding a loose connection.

The emergency fuel supply

Villa Romania Del Variganano

Portovenere

P.S Things do improve - see next blog