Bilge Blues

Date: 19 Oct., 2005

Location: Solomons, MD

Current position: 38 19.8 N 076 27.5 W

We use navigation software on a laptop connected to a GPS to locate Rachel in real time on an electronic chart. This makes it really easy to see if we're approaching shoals or are on course. It's proved to be really helpful, and we must admit that we've become rather fond of and somewhat dependent on it.

About an hour after we leave Cambridge, Mark's hard drive crashes. Like the Norwegian Blue parrot in the Monty Python pet shop skit, the hard drive has "passed on. It is no more. It has ceased to be. It has expired and gone to meet it's maker. It is off the twig, kicked the bucket, shuffled off it's mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!!" In other words, no more electronic chart.

We have to rely on our paper chart and navigation talent to get to Solomons, back across the bay. Sheesh. Never a dull moment....

Another lovely long day sail with no running aground or getting lost, so there may be hope for us yet. We arrive at Solomons pretty late, worn out and glowing from the wind on our faces, and spend the next day reprovisioning, getting water and fuel and just having a generally relaxing day.

At 6am the next morning our bilge alarm goes off. Yikes! We leapt out of bed. Well, actually, Mark leaps out of bed, Julie kind of lies there under the warm, dry covers waiting to see if it really is an emergency.

Mark pumps the bilge and then proceeds to pull up all the floorboards and check everywhere to see if he can find where all the water has come from. We had pretty heavy rain during the night, but that has never caused problems before. We look for evidence of water trickling into the bilge and find nothing - except what might be a small dribble from behind the engine - we can't reach it to check without going into the "basement" through the lazarette.

Finally Julie drags out of bed and climbs down into the basement (it's a size thing, honest!) and finds that the stuffing box is dripping more than it should be. This is the fitting where the prop shaft enters the boat and is tightened/loosened to allow a small drip of water to ensure the shaft is cool, but not a lot - no more than, say, a drop every 5 or so seconds. We, on the other hand, have about five drops a second and this had been going on for a few days. Reminder to selves - get Julie to check the stuffing box more often. We decide this is the problem, Mark tightens it and we both agree that we are safe to head on down the bay. Now where's that hot coffee?

Mark & Julie
s/v Rachel