Fuel Lines and Bow Rollers

We connected the diesel fuel lines.  The work was difficult because the fuel inlet and breather hose connections are next to each other on the port side coaming, meaning that we had to work on our backs with one arm extended up the narrow cavity of the coaming.  The work spanned two days but in the end I was satisfied with the special hose sealant that Bruce had provided at some effort and the tightness of all of the clamps.

New fuel filler line in position

I found it impossible to route the stiff and heavily ribbed fuel hose through its original path with its tight bends in constricted spaces and suggested that we cut a new hole in the lazarette.  I am glad that we did that because I could then see how the incoming fuel will now had a much smoother path into the tank.

On Monday we will put 30 liters of diesel into the tank and for the first time I will have the pleasure looking at what the new fuel gauge reports.  Then we will contact Mark the diesel mechanic who will return to the boat to bleed the engine and give it a test run which must be short because there will be no cooling sea water.

I picked up the bow rollers and pins from Mirko at "Vision Design" in Bibra Lake on Friday afternoon.  We had dropped them off earlier in the week for more work after we found that the rollers refused to roll because they fit so tightly between the 6mm plates and requested that 2mm be taken from each end of the rollers.  We also needed a way to prevent the pins from falling off the bow fitting and it was agreed that holes would be tapped near the ends of the pins into which retaining grub screws would be fitted after the pins were in position. 

Pins to hold anchor rode on the rollers

I fitted the rollers on the bow and could not believe how easily they turned.   I am looking forward to the prospect of working my anchor rodes  without the extra noise and effort of dragging them over static rollers.

 On Monday we'll fit the pins and if that goes well as expected we'll sign off on the excellent work by Vision Design with both the bow roller system and the binnacle frame.

On Friday I also had a brief visit from Go Graphics sign writing to discuss the replacement of the broad blue line along the outside of the coaming that we had discussed months earlier.  We agreed that it would be a waste of money to replace that line until the entire area was repainted, and I will not have time to do that during this refit.  When the time comes I will contact the firm to coordinate that work with one of my future maintenance haul outs.

The lettering has been prepared and I can  expect it to be laid on the transom in the coming week.

I also expect a visit from Dillon to better align the propeller shaft, which Bruce has deemed too far off centre for safe motoring to Pachuca's pen.

There were also visits from Greg Hansen and Dominic regarding the boat's LPG gas system.

Dominic stripped out the old gas lines, which we agree must have been the originals from 1983.  He looked over my cylinder  housing setup with the reduction valve mounted on top and approved.  He had also instructed that we must have ventilation holes in the sliding companionway "door" and we have ordered a new one made of stronger material and to be tighter fitting, to minimize a gap along the top of the cover which, when one thinks about it, would have provided probably more ventilation that the new door will.  Dominic will return at some indeterminate time to complete the installation of the new lines.

Greg Hansen visited to replace the failing gas sensor in the lazarette then certified the gas detection system.  We tested system by giving each sensor a whiff of methylated spirits.