Day 430 Limping into Shearwater!

We limped under sail into Shearwater this afternoon after the engine died as we passed Perceval Narrows.  It started with a sudden decrease in revs and then it was fine.  It did it again a short time later.  By the time we got to the Seaforth Channel just to the South, it died.  It restarted again for a while but finally died and would not restart about 10 miles short of Shearwater.  Tracy pulled out the Genoa sail and I headed below to change out the diesel filters.  It had been a while since they were done so they were the most likely candidate for the problem.  

I took off the first(primary) filter and dumped the old fuel into a bucket.  It was in horrible condition.  Lots of black in the fuel.  In went the new filter.  Then on to the second filters--a set of two--before you get to the engine.  Off they came and new ones screwed on.  I had read the book by Nigel Calder on changing filters and he recommends not putting any fuel in the secondary filters so that the fuel will get filtered on it's way through them.  After 20 minutes using a small electric pump that is supposed to pump the fuel into the filters, I took them back off only to find them still empty.  I took the two filters to the stern and filled them with diesel from a Jerry can with new clean fuel and reinstalled them.  On again with the little pump and I also manually pumped the fuel pump that is on the engine.  Fuel finally came out the bleed hole in the top of the filter.  OK, we were all set.  Nice new clean filters installed.   I turned the key and the engine turned over but refused to start.  Gee willikers(keeping the post pg rated), what to do now.  We're a sail boat so we kept sailing toward the Stillwater Marina.  My phone suddenly had a signal so I called them and was advised to use our radio.  So I picked up the VHF and called.  I advised them of the situation and they made plans for us to come in under sail and had at least ten people on the dock to take in the lines.

With Tracy at the wheel, in we came.  Just before getting to the dock, she let loose the Genoa and we glided right to the dock where all the lines were taken in and we were set.  Great people!!

Up the hill to the local repair facility to find a mechanic.  No problem.  They would be right down.  We walked over to the restaurant for a late lunch.  We last ate at 0600.  It was now 1500 hours.  Just after we placed our order, in came the mechanic.   He offered to come down tomorrow morning since we were eating.  No way!!  I told Tracy to stay and eat and get mine "to go" and off we went.   I finally got to eat at 1730.  A late lunch.  I even supplied the tools the mechanic needed.  

I told him what I had already done and what the engines symptoms had been and he started looking over the engine.  He loosened some screws and check the bleeding of the fuel.  Yep, all bled.  We turned on the small pump and out came fuel.  We used the engines fuel pump and out fuel came again.  All appeared to be fine.  We then undid the fuel injector pump and while I cranked the engine, Kevin(the mechanic) checked to see if fuel came out of the injectors lines.  Nope--no fuel.  OK, no fuel, no engine--simple, right?  But why no fuel?  Kevin tightened the lines on two of the injector lines and fuel came out the other two.  He then tightened them and we moved on to the other two.  Again, I cranked the engine and fuel came out the other two.  Now we were making headway.  Kevin tightened the final two and I cranked the engine and with a bit of reluctance, she started up just fine.  We let her run for a while just to make sure all was fine and then while Tracy stayed on the dock with a radio, Kevin and I went on a "test drive" to make sure she would run under power.  Off with the dick lines and out we went.  Tracy stayed in case the engine died so we could radio for help.  All went fine.  She just purred right along.  And back to the dock we went.  Now how air got past the secondary filters and into the injector pump is beyond us.  Kevin wasn't sure either but that is what the problem was.  Oh yeah--dirty fuel too.

Up the hill we went to pay and get signed in to the marina for the night.  We didn't make it to Fancy Cove but will glide right past it tomorrow morning.  Once that was done, we untied Zephyr again and headed to the fuel dock after waiting for several other boats to leave so we could get in.  In went 383 liters and we were full again.  At $1.00 per liter, it's not cheap but it sure is necessary. 

So we will be off tomorrow early again to make up what we lost today.  We're now in the laundry room getting the clothes washed and dried so we will be all clean again.  

Oh yeah, we were out of Bottleneck Cove this morning by 0500 so it's been  a long, trying day.  Nothing like a bit of stress to make the day seem incredibly long and tiresome.  We will either sleep well or badly tonight.