Secret Handshakes for Boaters

During our return from our weekend on Lopez Island, we heard a high-pitched whine.  At first it was intermittent and seemed to be related to engine RPM.  Jerry thought it might be a bearing going bad, but wasn't convinced, since we had to vibration.  By the time we were about an hour from La Conner the whine was no longer intermittent, but persistent.  Putting the boat quickly into reverse (yep, okay to do on this boat...yikes!) stopped the noise for awhile, but it returned.  Well, you can imagine the mental gyrations we went through.  We were sure the engine had the human equivalent of a terminal brain tumor!  


Once we were back in our slip, Jerry did some calling around and began the process of lining up a diver to take a look at the propeller shaft.  The La Conner Marina has a good "diesel and prop" man, according to our neighbor on the sailboat in the next slip.  If we needed to get some work done, this guy would be the one to ask.  Jerry also called Greg and Geoff at Nordic Northwest (the Nordic Tug dealership in Anacortes) to see what they might know about this really worrisome squeal.


If that wasn't enough to worry about, the dinghy motor (Honda 20 HP outboard) would not start the previous night...our last in Fisherman's Bay.  No matter what Jerry did, it would not start.  He'd treated it with "carbureator gum out" in the afternoon so thought it would start right off.  Of course not!  So, that headache needed to be resolved as well once back at La Conner.


On our way back from Lopez Island, the remote for the auto pilot quick working.  (Are you seeing the pattern here...three bad things!).  It just quit working!  It's not critical to anything, just a lovely convenience, but really annoying that it quit working.  Another issue to problem-solve!


Once we had the tug all tucked back into its slip in La Conner, we walked over to the little Marine Supply store at the marina.  Some crusty old salt told us that the Honda would start if Jerry would hold the bulb in the gas line vertically, not horizontally, when he squeezed the bulb to start the engine.  Yeah, right.  We bought a gizmo to hook up a garden hose to the Honda motor so Jerry could work on it while it sat on the boat deck, not in the water.  He did exactly what old salty man said to do and...yep, you guessed it...started right off!  We didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  Why don't they tell you these things in the basic manual, that Jerry has now memorized?????


Okay one problem down but two to go.  The Tug whine will prevent our heading to Gig Harbor for the fourth, if we cannot get it resolved.  Late in the afternoon Geoff (Northwest Nordic Tugs, a salesman) called back to say, this whine is a common problem.  Greg called back, too.  The solution (are you ready?) just wipe off the propeller shaft occasionally!  Apparently salt crystals build up and cause this noise.  We own 15 pounds of Tug manuals and nowhere in any of them is this little problem discussed.  See what I mean about secret handshakes???


I'm sorry to say that I cannot report such a simple solution for the auto pilot remote.  "Radar Ron" said he's ship it off to the factory and see if we can get it fixed.  He did offer to sell us a new one for $600.  We declined!


So, looks like we'll get to head for Gerald and Nancy Schneider's for a fourth of July party!