[Public-List] Engine Alignment

Gordon Laco mainstay at csolve.net
Thu Dec 31 07:56:30 PST 2009 

Well as a token of my integrity in asserting that I was not aboard  
that boat... remember, I did own up to being the star of the story  
about the guy who set his dinghy on fire with a flare pistol....

Happy new years' eve, friends.

Gord




On 31-Dec-09, at 10:20 AM, dan walker wrote:

> of course gord, i believe you! i bet roger does not
>
> --- On Wed, 12/30/09, 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: Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 11:29 PM
>> 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
>>>>>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>
>
>
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