Departed Portland
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1300 position: 38 20.8 S 141 39.5
E By the end of the day yesterday, after a lot of messing around, I eventually came to the realisation that the problem with the fuel injection pump was two broken springs. Over dinner and a glass of red at the local pub I considered what to do next and decided that the best thing was to simply buy a new pump given the stress that the old pump had been under, in particular cooling water getting into the cavity where it had no right to be, ultimately causing the springs to corrode and then eventually break. So, first thing this morning I rang up the Beta agent and asked him to source a new pump for me. But then after I got off the phone I thought about the problem a bit more and recalled that I had some springs for the pump in my spare parts box from when this problem had happened previously many years ago. I thought that if I am going to buy a new pump then there would be no harm in trying to repair the old one with these old springs. The first step in pursuing this path was to look up some You Tube videos that I had saved on this very topic which led to believe that repair was within my capabilities. Subsequently I have spent the forenoon pulling the bottom half of the pump apart and replacing the two broken springs. After reinstalling the pump and bleeding the fuel lines I was delighted when the engine once more sprang into life. Hooray! Next I rang Glenn, the Beta agent, and advised him of my success. I still intend to replace the pump as no doubt these old springs are going to fail at some point given that they have been exposed to some moisture and are likely in a weakened condition. Nonetheless I was confident that with judicious use of the engine that it would hopefully get us at least to Sydney. So I have asked Glenn to still source a new pump for me but now it wasn't so urgent. At 1300 I started the BRM, cast off the berthing lines and motored out of the harbour, where we turned into the light N.ly, set the main, then bore away to the east, setting the jib as we did so. Having lost some 36 hours in our unscheduled stop in Portland, the forecast is now not quite as favourable as it was, with light variable winds expected on Sunday. However, come Monday the winds are expected to freshen as a cold front moves in and crosses Bass Strait on Tuesday, which will no doubt provide for some boisterous conditions but at least the wind will be from the right quadrant. For now the plan is to push on towards Twofold Bay where, if the longer range forecast proves to be in the ballpark, we should arrive Thursday or Friday next week. All is well. |