We left San Luis Obispo Bay on the morning of 11/17/10 at 7AM, headed for Santa Barbara City Marina. The visibility was ¼ mile due to morning fog which burned off by ten. The swells were almost nonexistent with no wind. It was again impossible to sail, so we were forced to motor around Point Arguello and Point Conception. We timed our trip to round the points at night due to the winds having a tendency to lie down at that time. We had been warned of the hazards of this area by many sailors. Fortunately the weather was beautiful and the seas calm. On the other hand nothing is perfect.
Upon approaching Pt Arguello at dusk our transmission began to slip to a point of increasing the engine RPM’s three hundred revolutions every couple of minutes. We then discovered the transmission had lost all of its oil. Upon filling it with engine oil for a temporary fix, and adding more every hour or so to keep it going, we finally made it around Pt Conception. My question is: (why does shit always have to happen at night?). Anyway we made to the harbor after a lesson from our Canadian friends on anchoring etiquette.
After a nights rest I again checked the oil in the transmission and to my chagrin it was discovered that, not only was the oil evacuating the transmission, but now it was a milky white. SHIT! The problem has gone from an annoyance to a major problem. It is not just a minor oil seal replacement problem, but now a major replacement problem.
We found a new transmission for fifteen hundred including shipping from New Jersey. Of course the final cost will be closer to $2000.00 when installed. I just discovered the transmission heat exchanger will have to be replaced also. The good side is “better here than in Mexico”. The big problem now is getting traveler checks in our account, so we can then pay for it with Pay Pal. No one seems to accept American Express checks and our bank is in Oregon. Oh well all will work out. I just hope the shipping doesn’t take too long, as this harbor is certainly NOT cheap!
My daughter came up to sail the rest of the way to San Diego with us. As soon as we complete our repairs we will head for Catalina. In the meantime Judy and Tammy will explore Santa Barbara.
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SIGH.............At least it'll look pretty...... And the tranny side of the motor is easier to get to.......and gives you a chance to put on a new drive/flex plate.....and.....SIGH. Trying to look at the bright side here, but man, you guys don't deserve to be bleeding boat bucks like this.
ReplyDeleteWish I could be there, spinnin' wrenches.
Better luck,
Jason
What a drag. You're right about SB not being cheap. But it is a very pretty and super clean town ( we saw someone cleaning the "Walk" pushbuttons at the stoplights). Try to enjoy it while you wait for the tranny. As to the Oregon bank, I hope you're coming down here (Mex) with an ATM card. It's the only way to go. Get pesos at the ATM or pay for your purchases with it and get whatever the current exchange rate is automatically. Unfortunately, they slap a few fees on you for using a bank other than your own and for "foreign transactions" (probably because it takes the compute an extra nanosecond to do the exchange rate calculation).
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about that part of California and transmissions? Mine started leaking oil somewhere around Port San Luis. Still is for that matter.
Take care and be glad you're not in Charleston.
-Steve
Ouch, I guess it is better to happen there than in the Sea of Cortez, but you probably picked the most expensive place to fix it. Long Beach or L.A. Harbor would have had better facilities. Seems like all boats tend to be in control of when they break down ;)
ReplyDeleteNow, I must ask a couple questions on the oil turning milky white. Had water gotten into the transmission, or could it have been due to the oil and transmission fluid being mixed? It would be interesting to put some engine oil and transmission fluid into a pan and heat them up to about 200 degrees while mixing the brew. I am also curious how the engine drive train works. I had pictured it being more like a snow blower clutch with a standard gearbox transmission but now I am wondering if it is more like a cars automatic transmission with a torque converter.
It is too bad you couldn't just pull the old transmission and put new seals in it, fill it with fluid, and be on your way. Anyway good luck getting the replacement down there in a timely manner.
Steve's advice on the ATM card is spot on. I went to Venezuela about 18 years ago to work a construction project and brought travelers checks the first time I went and it was a serious pain getting them cashed. It took almost 2 hours at the bank before leaving with enought money to get by. They had ATM machines everyplace so the next time I went down I used them to get cash when needed.
Hang in there, you are almost South enough that the weather will start to be real nice. I am a little envious since I spent about 4 hours today behind a snow blower keeping my driveway clear. I have a feeling our winters will be a little different.
Talk to you soon.
Jim
The milky white turned out to be water from the oil cooler. Read next post and all will be explained. Yeah, I'm being lazy.
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