Propeller fettling

Maunie was plucked from the water in the Ashby's Boatyard travel-lift on Tuesday and came up looking very clean - the yard manager Nick asked us why we were hauling out as she looked so good!

Our Coppercoat antifouling had certainly done a brilliant job but we had some important jobs to do. With the help of Bob, the sales manager at the local chandlers, we fitted new packing seals to the prop-shaft (we were very slowly sinking before, having to pump out about 30 litres of sea water from the bilges every day) and we had to service the Autoprop feathering propeller.

The prop had become a bit rattly at low engine speeds and we discovered that, after 5 years and about 1000 engine hours, the bearings needed replacing. Luckily there's an NZ agent in Auckland so parts were delivered overnight and we spent about 4 hours today stripping and rebuilding the prop.

Meanwhile we've given the hull a good polish and are really pleased that Maunie's still looking very shiny.

We relaunch tomorrow, happy that the boat's had a few days of proper tlc and that we've attended to all the below-the-waterline jobs for another 12 months.