[Public-List] Engine Alignment

Wed Dec 30 20:29:40 PST 2009

HONESTLY -

I

WAS

NOT

ABOARD

THAT

BOAT!

The owner of the boat told the story afterward... he is now a senior  
exec of a large bank...

G

On 30-Dec-09, at 9:55 PM, dan walker wrote:

> so gord
> were you at the tiller, or did u dash below??????
>
> --- On Tue, 12/29/09, Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net> wrote:
>
>> From: Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Engine Alignment
>> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org 
>> >
>> Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 6:18 PM
>> Here is a true story...
>>
>> A wooden Folkboat with an inboard engine (clearly not TOUCH
>> WOOD - she never had an inboard) was happily sailing across
>> Toronto Harbour one night many years
>> ago.   The fellows sailing the boat thought
>> it would be fun to set the 'chute so up it went.
>>
>> All good things must come to an end, and sure enough after
>> a time the far side of the harbour began to loom
>> large.   But what ho, perhaps they did not
>> need to douse the chute, perhaps, they reckoned, they might
>> sail through the harbour's Western Gap channel under
>> spinnaker.  Oh what Sea Scourges they'd be with that
>> tale to tell.  Onwards they went. (have a look at
>> Google Earth to see the Western Gap Channel)
>>
>> Their happiness was somewhat dampened when they got into
>> the channel and discovered that they could barely lay it
>> reaching under the spinnaker with the pole laid hard against
>> the forestay.  The boat was now doing over 7knts and
>> they were being steadily pressed toward the northern
>> (leeward) side of the channel.   They decided
>> to lower the chute but found that halyard block had jumped
>> its sheave and was jammed.  They could not lower the
>> chute.     Just as they were digesting
>> this evidence of the developing shipwreck, the cross channel
>> ferry to the Toronto Island Airport gave its hoot and shot
>> out in front of them.
>>
>> Thinking swiftly, one of them dove into the cabin and
>> started their Stuart Turner gas inboard (called the
>> 'Explosion prone Stuart Turner in Don Street's book)
>> Uncharacteristically it started first try.  They
>> slammed it into reverse and opened the throttle.  They
>> felt the boat give a violent shake and the steering
>> locked.   What had happened was the prop
>> shaft had spun back away from the transmission and jammed
>> against the rudder.  Worse, the prop had grabbed a line
>> that was trailing in the water and that jumped the rudder up
>> almost out of the gudgeons.  The boat was still
>> exceeding hull speed.
>>
>> The guy steering decided it would be better to hit the
>> concrete harbour wall than the ferry so he wrenched the
>> tiller as hard as he could to bear away... and tore the
>> rudder right off.  Now free of the rudder, the shaft
>> finished it's exit and left the boat (luckily still tangled
>> in the sheet).
>>
>> At this point the first guy dove into the cabin again and
>> scrambled into the forepeak.  He grabbed the anchor and
>> threw it up out the forehatch.  It cleared the rail and
>> sank, with the anchor line singing out after it at about
>> 7knts.
>>
>> There was nothing more they could do - the boat was
>> sinking, the spinnaker was jammed aloft, the ferry and wall
>> were both coming... suddenly the end of the anchor line was
>> reached and the boat snapped her head into the wind.
>> She came to rest with her stern within reach of the wall...
>> the ferry missed them (likely never saw them, no lights of
>> course).
>>
>> The owner of the boat rammed a bung into the prop shaft
>> hole while the other guy cast off the spinnaker guy.
>>    They opened a couple of beers and sighed.
>>
>> This really happened.
>>
>> Gord
>> #426 Surprise
>> On 29-Dec-09, at 6:02 PM, mahseer at kos.net
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Tom
>>>
>>> Been there had same problem, not a plesent feeling, I
>> also had the
>>> origional bronze shaft.  I had a new bronze shaft
>> made but just before it
>>> was ready to be installed I discovered it had been
>> made from bearing
>>> bronze and was pourous.  Had the next one made
>> out of stainless steel.
>>>
>>> John Boor
>>> MAHSEER #380
>>>
>>>
>>>> Just thought I would throw in an educational story
>> on engine alignment.
>>>>
>>>> I bought my Alberg 30 several decades ago, and in
>> its previous life
>>>> the engine and shaft had not been realigned, I
>> don't believe. And
>>>> every year, into the crane, out of the
>> crane...etc.
>>>>
>>>> Took the Alberg from St. Andrews, NB down the
>> coast of Maine to
>>>> Penobscot Bay, and off North Haven was running the
>> engine since there
>>>> was a large following swell and almost no wind.
>> The jerking was the
>>>> final straw, I suppose...
>>>>
>>>> Suddenly the tiller would not work, and when I
>> tried more, the boat
>>>> was swirling around in circles. Put up the sails
>> to get some control
>>>> (not knowing what else to do), and of course it
>> just made matters
>>>> worse, since the Alberg was going in tight
>> circles. Thought a lobster
>>>> pot line was grabbed, but that wasn't it.
>>>>
>>>> Finally decided to take off the steps/engine cover
>> - and with a
>>>> flashlight was horrified to see the shaft within a
>> few inches of the
>>>> thru-hull.
>>>>
>>>> Grabbed it with a wrench, and worked it forward.
>> Then happened to
>>>> have some brass "snare wire" and used it to get
>> enough friction
>>>> around the shaft, and found a way to secure the
>> snare wire.
>>>>
>>>> Realized it was a definite blessing that the hole
>> between hull and
>>>> rudder was small enough that the propeller had
>> fetched up against the
>>>> rudder, jamming it initially - but not allowing
>> the shaft to leave!
>>>>
>>>> Once the shaft was secure, had my wife watch it
>> while I used the late
>>>> afternoon breezes to make it across Penobscot Bay
>> and as the final
>>>> breath of wind died, made it to one of the outer
>> moorings in Camden
>>>> harbor.
>>>>
>>>> Wayfarer Marine was happy to pull the boat the
>> next morning, and
>>>> after almost a week on the dock, I had much time
>> to think about the
>>>> matter of engine/shaft alignment. Especially as we
>> were still living
>>>> aboard, and everyone going by enjoyed the chance
>> to ask how the
>>>> cruising was up there (in the air).
>>>>
>>>> I realigned yearly from that point.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Tom Moffatt
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> These businesses support your Association:
>>>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>>>> Please support them.
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Public-List mailing list
>>>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>>>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> These businesses support your Association:
>>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>>> Please support them.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Public-List mailing list
>>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> These businesses support your Association:
>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>> Please support them.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Public-List mailing list
>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> These businesses support your Association:
> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
> Please support them.
> _______________________________________________
> Public-List mailing list
> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org

 1262233780.0