Ahh the little stresses of modern diesel engine mechanics
Posted on Feb 1st, 2007
by 
Argus
Argus
Well, we're still located in Jekyll Island, GA, now with John siman, and a new crewman, Brad, aboard. Stoically trying to get the ship south to St. Mary's, GA for the rest of the refit and haul out in March to perform maintenance on the hull. I haven't started the engine since 2 weeks before Christmas, and I think the ship has forgotten that it, in fact, has an engine..or it may be the the engine is angry at the fact that we are planning on removing it. But regardless, it is just not starting. Now, my knowledge of CAterpillar engines is limited, but I do know diesels in general, and from having worked on bus engines, I know that it can be a pain in the ass to start an engine in the middle of winter after it hasn't been started in a while. So, we're going to juice it with some ether and get it going that way. Brad is ashore at the moment procuring some from the store.
Otherwise, things are going well. We have gotten the rest of the ship clean, and have finalised most of the refit plans and designs. One thing that we've decided is that, rather than building a long cabin trunk along the topsides, and using the forecastle area for freight, we're going to take her back to the way she was originally built with two cabin trunks, and a forecastle crews quarters, and aft cabin quarters, with freight mounted amidships in what will used tohave been the engine room. (Was that proper english?...anyway). We have another crewman coming out all the way from Junwon Village South Korea to join us, and we are especially excited about that.
After the earaly January work period, we determined that a belt sander is just not going to suffice to get the resin/ruber compound off the beautiful BC Fir decks, and are going to hire a floor sander guy to do it for us. I think that's the only outside labour we're going to require. It's the modern developments made on the ship that are the biggest hassle. Go figure.
We should have a good place at St. Mary's, and are looking forward to getting there. We were going to make the trip today, but the seas kicked up to 6-8' in the St. Andrews Sound, and were almost 2 feet here in Jekyll Creek, and it has been raining off and on all day. It is purported to be the same tomorrow, and Saturday looks like it will be the best time to go, maybe Sunday. Considering that it is the first time I will have piloted this ship, I would like to not be pitching stormy seas. The very first time I piloted my Fishers Progress was during a gale in the Chesapeake Bay, and I found that thoroughly distasteful, and am trying to avoid a repeat of the same. Oh well, time will tell, but Brad must leave in a couple of days, and we need at least three people to safely hoist anchor and move the ship, mainly because we will actually be moving two vessels at the same time...my fishers Progress, and the Wanderer, rafted up next to each other. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! Anyway, we want to make this dangerous trip as safely as possible, if that doesn't sound too strange.
More later.
Otherwise, things are going well. We have gotten the rest of the ship clean, and have finalised most of the refit plans and designs. One thing that we've decided is that, rather than building a long cabin trunk along the topsides, and using the forecastle area for freight, we're going to take her back to the way she was originally built with two cabin trunks, and a forecastle crews quarters, and aft cabin quarters, with freight mounted amidships in what will used tohave been the engine room. (Was that proper english?...anyway). We have another crewman coming out all the way from Junwon Village South Korea to join us, and we are especially excited about that.
After the earaly January work period, we determined that a belt sander is just not going to suffice to get the resin/ruber compound off the beautiful BC Fir decks, and are going to hire a floor sander guy to do it for us. I think that's the only outside labour we're going to require. It's the modern developments made on the ship that are the biggest hassle. Go figure.
We should have a good place at St. Mary's, and are looking forward to getting there. We were going to make the trip today, but the seas kicked up to 6-8' in the St. Andrews Sound, and were almost 2 feet here in Jekyll Creek, and it has been raining off and on all day. It is purported to be the same tomorrow, and Saturday looks like it will be the best time to go, maybe Sunday. Considering that it is the first time I will have piloted this ship, I would like to not be pitching stormy seas. The very first time I piloted my Fishers Progress was during a gale in the Chesapeake Bay, and I found that thoroughly distasteful, and am trying to avoid a repeat of the same. Oh well, time will tell, but Brad must leave in a couple of days, and we need at least three people to safely hoist anchor and move the ship, mainly because we will actually be moving two vessels at the same time...my fishers Progress, and the Wanderer, rafted up next to each other. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! Anyway, we want to make this dangerous trip as safely as possible, if that doesn't sound too strange.
More later.
Access: Public