Island Time 1,247 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Well, for the first time in over 45 years boating, I got towed home on Thursday. I had been teaching a guy docking, in the Gulf Harbour Marina, and been in and out of gear a dozen or more times. Then, while he was at the helm, with no prior warning of any sort, the boat stuck in reverse. Then the engine would not stop when the stop lever was pulled out... So I took the helm and we reversed out of the marina to where there was a little more space. Tried the stop lever/handle again, all ok. Weird. So we anchored just outside the marina so I could take a look at the gear selection system. All cables etc ok, the issue was/is inside the gearbox. I could still select only reverse (not neutral either). So, up anchor, start in reverse with the intention of reversing up to my slip. Unfortunately, once inside the two rock walls at the marina entrance, we began to slow down - we'd lost all drive completely. With no room to anchor, and wind 35 deg off the stb bow, we drifted into the rock wall before anything could be done. I got the dingy off and between the boat and the rocks ( the keel had grounded, holding her off mostly anyway), and fortunately a fizz boat came and passed us a line, within a couple of minutes. I was about to prepare the 15hp outboard and dinghy to tow us off, but a 25 ft fizz boat with 300hp is better! So, on the rocks and then towed home by a fizz boat. Shameful . Never happened to me before, but what a place for an engine/gearbox failure!! - 100m in either direction and I could have sorted it with no real issues, there just was no room to bear away and sail, nor to anchor. The gearbox (Volvo 120S saildrive) has lost the retaining collets from the top of the vertical shaft - allowing the bottom ones to possibly fall out as well - you can't see those with the GB installed. Boat will have to be hauled and Sail Drive removed. I'm planning that for Weiti on Thursday - I'll tow her up there with the dingy. The reason for Weiti rather than Gulf Harbour is purely cost - $500 odd for lift and waterblast, and $60 odd per day hardstand, v $170 haulout and 20 odd per day at Weiti. May as well do antifouling at the same time - it's due. No my best day on the water! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Gotta say, Matt, I love your honesty in telling the story. If you had your time again what would you do differently. Kedge lines ready in a dinghy to get to the opposite wall? Fenders ready? Strap on the dinghy to the side and manoeuvre with its outboard? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beccara 25 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Good quick thinking and logical reasoning, Cant ask for more than that in a tricky situation. Well done! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Bugger!. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,247 Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Kevin, thx. If I had known it was not just gear selection but the drive would fail as well, while anchored outside I would have tied the dingy alongside with bow, stern, and springs, and put on the 15 hp (on the dinghy - no OB bracket on the yacht). Tied alongside in this manner, with the kill switch of the OB on a string and the outboard lashed straight ahead, The yacht steers from the helm just fine, and I can do about 4 knots. I can coast to a stop after pulling the string, but cannot reverse or restart (unless I have crew!) That's how I'll get her out of the marina on Wednesday evening, and up the river....but I will have some help. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Thanks Matt. Good to learn from you. A couple of years ago I chartered a Noelex 30 in BOI and the motor wouldn't start as we were coming into anchor. I tacked into the bay as much as I could. But then couldn't make much headway trying to tow it by rowing the rowboat. Wind changed in the early morning and the lousy anchor didn't hold. Spirit of NZ mac boat saved us from a lee shore after a pan pan and a great sailor was sent by the company quite a few hours later to help sail a relative novice home with his family and friends in 40 knots of wind without a motor. He bought us alongside their pier with supreme skill and under sail. Spirit of NZ engineer and the company's rescue sailor had all been stumped and it later turned out the glowplugs were from a faulty batch. I never found out what the fault was and why they worked for a little bit then didn't. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Nah. It's something about that stretch of water. Wasn't it a lovely sunny absolutely windless day when that famous old boat was smashed on the rocks near the point having sailed all around the world? Can't think of the sailor and name of the boat right now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Yep, Ole man Murphy. When it goes wrong, it will always be worse possible place or time or both. One plus IT, at least it wasn't in front of a crowd. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chippie 6 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Hi Kevin, plucked out of one of those obscure bits of the brain which seem to hold odd information and not entirely sure I've got it right. Earling Tambs and his yacht was called Teddy, but I think he went up on this end of Kawau. Engineless, and had stowed his anchor below in preparation for going to sea. No wind and he got pushed onto Challenger Point. Saved his wife, child and dog but lost the boat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Well done Chippie. My brain had said Eric Tamberly but when I googled that it was wrong. And it wasn't Eric Tabarly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,601 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 And if you read Johnny Wray's book he talks of modelling Ngataki on Earling Tambs' Teddy. By the way The Cruise of the Teddy was a great book and I haven't seen a copy in decades. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Romany 162 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I wonder did Earling regretted any of those decisions, or indeed if his priorities were listed correctly? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The big T 41 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Thought Teddy hit Maori Rock. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Its been a few years since I read it but its on the shelf. It was Challenger, a friends folks lived on kawau and told stories about it happening. I've pointed it out to my family many times. 'yeah dad, we know'. I took a few lessons from it , we take a lot for granted with turn key auxillery motors now . Despite that , after going deliberately wide around Cape Brett in a light northerly after a gale , the wind dropped right out and we began to be washed in by the swell. That was in the 80's, I can remember thinking then ' there's no way I'm ending up like Teddy'. I barged the boat , about 9 tons and 41 ft, with the dinghy and 2 hp for a short while before the breeze came back up. There was tons of room in reality but the thought of the Teddy put the whim wams into me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 what a name for a dog http://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/26/the-wreck-of-teddy-sailing-sunday/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Ngataki on saturday.. I can see no resemblance to Teddy whatsoever though... Sorta pointy in the front I suppose , that might do it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex TL systems 63 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I have found the guys that work at Gulf Harbour very helpful with their bumper boats when we brought a cat in there in the middle of some extreme weather, We radioed them before entering and they happily made sure we got into the travellift without hitting any million $ boats. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,247 Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 Island Time is now tied to the wharf at weiti. Ready for lifting at high tide in the morning. Towed her there from Gulf Harbour this evening, with the dingy as a tug. Thanks BP and Angus for your help! Would have been kind of difficult by myself! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,601 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I was amazed how well my 3 hp outboard could push a 40 ft sailboat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,247 Posted March 10, 2016 Author Share Posted March 10, 2016 Yeah, thx BP!! Island Time now out on the hard, Saildrive removed, gearbox stripped, parts orderd. 10 day delivery..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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