Category Archives: Repairs

Yamaha Repair: Reverse Away

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Our beloved Yamaha Enduro 25hp outboard has been in a state of disrepair for a few months. She has had problems going into and staying in reverse.  Matt was able to make it “limp” along for a few months before it finally just stopped working (in reverse).  So, we learned to use our outboard motor without reverse.  Luckily Matt was able to download the motor schematic and determined what the issue was (or what he thought it was).  It appeared that the cotter pin that is in the shifting mechanism was broken, rusted, or non-functioning. In order to get to the cotter pin, you have to take apart the entire outboard and lift the motor (head).  Ugh.  Not something Matt has experience doing, so we decided to wait until we got to Tahiti to fix it. Yamaha shop said it would take a very long time to get the parts in, if they could get them in at all.  We ordered the parts from the U.S. and Wayne brought them in during his last visit. 

Dropping off the Outboard

We arranged to have the Yamaha techs meet us at Marina Taina where we could more easily offload the motor and load it into a truck.  They arrived on time and we showed them the spare parts that we bought and were providing.

Spare parts for Yamaha

Spare parts for Yamaha

Matt and Jerome carried the 130lb outboard to the truck and she was off to the hospital.

Yamaha takes our motor

Yamaha takes our motor

Spare Outboard

We had saved our old outboard, a Mercury 8hp motor (40lbs).  For years we thought we should sell it and once we tried.  But it ended up sitting under our cockpit table for years.  Matt worked on it while I was in the states (in July) and got it running (while on the stanchion of the big boat).  Sweet. 

Before we sent the 25hp Enduro in for repairs, Matt tested the Mercury 8hp on the back of the boat again to ensure it worked.  It started running after the 2nd pull.  How is that for awesome? 

After Yamaha took the 25hp Enduro, Matt installs the Mercury 8hp on the back of Sweetie.  He pulls, and pulls, and pulls and nothing.  He worked on it for 45 minutes and the darn thing would not turn over!  Seriously? 

Mercury let's us down

Mercury let’s us down

We decide to paddle over to another dock where I hopped out and ran to our friends on Liward.  They are preparing their boat for storage. They graciously allowed us to borrow their 15hp outboard (80lbs).  So, I hop back in the dinghy and we paddle ¾ of mile around the marina to Liward so we can drop their dinghy onto ours.

Only slight problem is that their motor is a short shaft and our dinghy has a long transom. What does that mean?  It means that we have to go slow to allow the prop to reach the water and properly operate.  The red arrow is Liward in the background – their outboard on Sweetie and the dead Mercury on its side.

Lucky for us, Yamaha was able to repair the outboard the next day and they delivered it the day after.  Thank goodness, as it was challenging being careful with a borrowed outboard and going back and forth to shore (which is well over a mile away).

Sweetie’s Motor Returns

Yamaha folks delivered our repaired outboard.  You can tell how heavy she is when it takes 3 people to manhandle her back into the dinghy.  We decided to just lay it in the boat and then use Liward’s nifty lift to put it in place.

Steve and Lili had to drop their dinghy and move it, move their ladder, and prepare their lift.  I can’t believe how awesome our friends are!

Steve moving dinghy on Liward

Steve moving dinghy on Liward

Lili operates the lines, Steve guides his outboard back onto Liward from his boat, and Matt guides it from below.

Then we use the same lift to hoist our 25hp Enduro off the dinghy floor and into place on the transom.  Works like clockwork.  Super cool.

We get back to Sugar Shack and the Mercury 8hp is still on the stanchion.  Matt has tested and started it every day for the last 4 days and it starts right up!  Not sure what happened earlier when we really needed it.  But, I am super glad we had our friend’s motor to use in its place. 

The Problem

Matt was correct in assessing the problem.  The cotter pin that holds the two pieces below together had rusted and broken off.  The smaller U shape piece is supposed to be held in place to the shaft with a cotter pin.  But instead it moved about preventing us from shifting in reverse.  Once we got it back, we could clearly see that the pin was stuck in there – which is why you can’t see through it.

Lucky for us we have amazing cruiser friends who helped us out in our time of need.

We enjoy pool time at the highest restaurant in Polynesia, in our last blog.   Events from this blog post occurred early November.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.

Confinement Boat Projects

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A boat, like a house, is a constant work in progress.  There is always something to do, to clean, to repair, or to replace.  Confinement provides us with an excellent opportunity to focus on some of the much-needed boat projects that needed to be done. 

Some of our boat projects are just “nice to have” done projects.  For example, we want to replace our rain shades with bigger rain shades to keep our cockpit drier during storms.  We made rain shades a few years ago and they are “fine” but they could be better, more efficient, easier to install, and cover more area. 

Another “nice to have” project is making a seat cushion for the transom area of the cockpit (around the wenches and above the line holders).  People inevitably sit on the hard fiberglass area even though we have three large cushion seating areas.  So, why fight it?  We’ve been talking about making a seat cushion here for years but the concern is where to stow the cushions while we are underway…since we would need to access the lines.

But those projects will have to wait until we get through our priority boat projects.

Necessary Boat Projects

Where to start? There are so many.  We start with some of the older boat projects.  One of the great things about a catamaran is that you have two of everything.  One of the bad things about a catamaran is that you have two of everything.

The sunbrella cushion covers on both helm seats had weakened and ripped.  We needed to replace the covers which is easier said then done.  The covers are made to fit snugly over the waterproof material and cushion.  Supposedly to prevent the cushions from retaining water.  Which doesn’t always work when you are in a massive storm. 

Matt dutifully removed the sunbrella fabric and then painstakingly removed the stitching so he could replace the top panel.  Our cushions were made in Turkey in 2010 and were well made.  They had double stitching around all the seams.  Which is great, until you have to remove all the stitching.

The bottom left photo shows you what the cover looked like.  Doesn’t look too bad until you look at the top left photo which shows you how worn out it really was.  The bottom right shows you the finished cushion cover.

Annoyingly, we discovered several weeks after installing our new helm seat cushions, that when it rains, the fabric actually shows are two different colors.  So don’t look when it rains 🙂

Helm Wheel Covers

I started working on the helm wheel leather covers while Matt was working on both helm seat covers. We had covered our wheels at the helm station with leather to prevent them from slipping in our hands during storms and to make it more comfortable while at the helm.  But the leather had turned green (it was tan) from mildew and old age.  It had ripped in some sections and generally needed to be replaced.  Another “easier said than done” boat project.  You see there are 120 stitches between each rung and there are 5 rungs (600 for those of you mathematically challenged) times to wheels.   That’s a lot of stitches!

Removal:

First: remove the two turks head knots that mark the center of the wheel.  You can either cut the string or try to find the end that is neatly tucked under the knot.  I was able to find the ends of 3 of the 4 knots and saved the line.  But the 4th one had to be cut. (see two top images)

Next, the stitches had to be removed.  Originally, I thought I would just cut the line.  But it was a particularly windy day and I did not want pieces of this sticky string to go in the water.  So, I literally pulled the line through each stitch to remove it.  (bottom left image).

The old leather (green used to be tan) next to the new leather (gray) in the lower right photo.

Next the wheel needed to be cleaned.  There was double sticky tape holding the leather in place and rust, and gunk all over the wheel.  Nothing that a brillo pad, cleaning agent, and elbow grease couldn’t handle.

Port Helm

Port Helm

Port Helm

Starboard Helm

Starboard Helm

Starboard Helm

We measured, re-measured, and then measured again.  Once we cut this leather there is no going back!  After we cut it, I sewed the two end pieces together, applied my double sticky tape to hold the leather cover to the wheel and started stitching.  It took me about 30-45 minutes per rung, times 5 rungs, x 2 wheels.  Needless to say, it took me several days to finish both sides.

In case you are wondering, we purchased our leather helm covers from Edsonmarine.  They are pricey, but they work wonders!

Next Matt recreated the two turks head knots on each helm.  These help us realize where “center” is which is crazy important wile underway.  Sometimes, you are looking at the sails or the mark or the channel and can’t look at the wheel.  So, it is important to be able to “feel” the knots to know your wheel is centered.

Interior Table Cleaning

We have a beautiful table inside the cabin that folds open to make an even larger table (double the size).  We try to maintain it and keep it clean, but daily use, oils from hands and cleaners and what not create build up.  The outer edge, or darker wood gets the brunt of it.  It was way overdue for some loving.  We take a very gentle approach as we don’t want to scratch the wood.  Using a metal scraper, we tenderly scrape the gunk off (with very little pressure).

I promise you it did not look this bad until you zoom in.  My sister who is fastidious about cleaning never noticed it so don’t judge 🙂

It was remarkable who well it cleaned up. Looking at the bottom three images:  before cleaning, after cleaning, and after oil.

And the finished table:

I took the opportunity to do more of our rails, leading edges and more….over a week’s time:

Nav station

Nav station

Prop Cleaning

Matt whipped out the hooka to clean the props which had grown a bit hairy.  He jumped in before I had a chance to take a before photo so all you get is his photo.  Hooka, weight belt, cleaning tools and he is off to shave our props.

Matt with the hooka gear on

Matt with the hooka gear on

The props after their hair cut.  The yellow is prop speed which helps keep the growth to a minimum.

Raw Water Pump Repair

The port side raw water pump needed to be serviced.  Matt replaced a bearing and the shaft.  In the left photo you can see the old and new shaft along with the bearing.  While he had the pump off he also replaced the hose to the raw water pump.  The old and new.  What a difference.

Random $hit:

On one of our walks we encountered the lovely ladies who were crafting gorgeous floral crowns and necklaces.  Not only were they stunning, but they smelled devine!

Just a beautiful photo of Sugar Shack on a particularly calm day.  I was snorkeling back to the boat and popped my head up to get my bearings.  It was just so pretty I had to share it with you.  You can see how clear the water is as the coral heads are apparent.

 

Did you meet the sharks, rays, and fish in Vaiare in our last blog.

Events from this blog post occurred during the third week of August, 2021.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.

Teak Love

Teak Love and Care

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The exterior wood on Sugar Shack is all teak.  It looks super lovely when it is well cared for.  For the most part, we can scrub it clean, then either oil or stain it to preserve and protect the wood from the sea, salt, and sun.  However, every few years we need to scrub it, sand it down, remove all prior coats of oil or stain and start from scratch.

Teak turns a white/gray color after being exposed to the sun with no oil or stain.  It is ok looking, but not something that I prefer.  Plus, it is hard on the wood because there is nothing protecting it so it does not last as long.

So, I get down to business.  There is lots of teak on Sugar Shack. This post will solely focus on exterior wood.  We have teak trim (5) along each helm station, (2) teak safety handles, (2) teak trim pieces over small hatches, (3) teak pieces of trim along the bimini, (2) teak hand rails, 2 teak hatch covers, (3) teak covers on each of the 2 sugar scoops, and (2) teak seats on the princess seats at the bow.  It’s lots of prep-work, sanding, and sealing.

Princess Seats

At the bow we have two princess seats which are fun to sit in during calm passages or sundowners.  The wood is screwed into a stainless-steel plate.  Sounds easy enough, simply unscrew it, right?  Well not really.  But it does come off.  These seats have deep ridges which have collected the stain over the years.  The seats have direct sun, sea, and salt coverage all day, every day.  So, they needed extra love.

First photo shows you current state, 2nd photo shows you the cleaned and sanded state, 3rd photo shows you half stained, last photo is finished.

Princess Seats at the bow of the boat

Princess Seats at the bow of the boat

The completed starboard princess seat:

Oh $hit Bars

We have two well used oh $hit bars in the cock pit. We call them that because you often grab them when sea conditions become bad.  They are truly safety bars.  There is one on the ceiling and one just above the cabin entrance.

Ceiling bar is grabbed a lot and has a combination of human oil, dirt, sun, and salt.  It was a mess and needed a good sanding.  I did not get a “before” shot, but below is a sanded, fresh stain, and final look.

 
Safety Bar

Safety Bar

The safety bar on the ceiling also gets used a lot and has curves that are very difficult to reach.  I destroyed a lot of pieces of sand paper trying to get to the curved areas.  The 6 images below show before and after. 

The left images are before and the right are after.

Here is the final version looking gorgeous.

Teak Trim Over Hatches

We have two small hatches that both lead to cabins.  The teak trim is a barrier to help prevent water and stuff from entering the open hatch.  Here is a before, middle, and final photo:

Trim over hatch

Trim over hatch

Helm Station Teak

We have two helm stations.  Each one has two pieces of teak trim along the seat.  The starboard helm also has an additional teak bar at the bottom of the seat.  This wood gets a lot of direct sun and salt.

Helm seat trim

Helm seat trim

It is hard to tell in these photos, but here is the before and after of the starboard helm seat.

Starboard Helm Seat

Starboard Helm Seat

The boat was a total mess with dust and soot everywhere for several days.  It just could not be helped with the sanding and all the wind.

Bimini and Cabin Top Hand Rails

The teak rails along the bimini and cabin top take a lickin!  Not only do they have full exposure to the sun, sea, and salt but they also get rubbed raw from the jib sheets (lines).  The lines rub and rub and wear the stain off leaving unattractive marks.  Left before and right after

Bimini Hand Rails

Bimini Hand Rails

The cabin top has two long hand rails running along the port and starboard side.  They too get rubbed by the same jib sheets.  Left before and right after.

Cabin top hand rails

Cabin top hand rails

Cockpit Hatches

The cockpit hatches get a lot of dirty feet walking all over them. Plus they get lots of dirt and grime being located in the cockpit.  We had scrubbed them weeks ago and did not put any oil on them so they turned a gray color.  Before shots of the sugar scoops (top 2 photos) and cockpit hatches (bottom two photos).

Sugar Scoops

We have two sugar scoops (steps that lead up the transom of the boat to the cockpit).  Each set of sugar scoops has 3 steps.  They get lots of dirt, salt, sun, and sea.  The starboard is used more frequently as this is where we get on and off the boat.

Additional Projects

Our outboard has been giving us some problems.  She does not like to go in revers.  Matt has looked at and worked on the shifting mechanism but nothing seems to work. He would get it working then it would stop.  Looks like it will take some more time.

The handles on the dinghy have needed some love.  I put duct tape on them thinking that it would strengthen them, but that only made a huge mess!  Note to self, don’t use duct tape on anything in the sun.  So, I made new covers using sunbrella fabric and velcro.

Dinghy Handle Covers

Dinghy Handle Covers

A leak at the bow.  We have had water get into the bow peaks for awhile now. We could never find the source.  Matt decided to take apart the mount for the gang plank and in doing so found two possible areas where water can sneak in.  Of course this turned out to be a much bigger project than he though.  First, we have to take everything out of the bow peak locker (2-bean bags, 3-sails, 2-folding chairs, luggage, noodles, old salon cushions, 2-SUPs, 4-water jugs)  Yep we can fit a lot in the bow peaks!

Events from this blog post occurred during the second week of June, 2021.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.