Engine problems delaying departure for Mexico

Well, it looks like for Astraea and her crew the Baja Haha has become the Baja Boo Hoo. We are not going to be able to leave on Monday October 26th as scheduled.

I had not posted a blog update for the past week as I have been working day and night getting Astraea ready to leave for Mexico along with the other 190+ sailboats taking part in the 16th annual Baja Haha regatta from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. The "to do" list was almost complete, the "buy" list was complete, and we were ready to head South to Mexico. Then, last Sunday, it happened. I started the engine to do routine engine checks and to warm up the transmission in order to change the transmission fluid. I heard this rather distinct metallic noise coming from the engine. It was a noise that I knew was not there before. It sounded like something was loose on the engine and rattling or banging against the engine. I checked every part of the engine and could find nothing loose, no oil leaks, nothing apparently wrong with the engine.

Now this was NOT expected as the boat has a brand new Westerbeke engine that was installed last year by the boatyard in Alameda and the engine has less than 180 hours on it. That is not even broken in for a new diesel. I called the Westerbeke dealer in San Diego first thing Monday morning and was told, of course, that they were "very busy" and would "try" to get someone out to listen to it. I told them that it could be nothing, but that I was not willing to go to sea on this nearly 800 mile trip without an experienced mechanic inspecting the engine.

Finally, four days later, on Thursday afternoon, the mechanic arrived. He turned out to be a very experienced master mechanic with 30+ years of experience. This guy knows diesels. He listened and started doing what I had done, looking for something loose on the engine. He then proceeded to open each of the air injectors and when the air injector for cylinder #4 was opened the metallic clanging noise stopped. This was not a good sign. In fact it was a very bad sign. The mechanic looked a bit concerned and said he would return on Friday afternoon with some special instruments. I could see our underway date for Monday starting to fade.

On Friday the mechanic showed up with a second mechanic and some sound isolation devices. He also conferred with one of the mechanics at the boat yard in Alameda, Svendsen's, who installed the new engine. The analysis was not good. It appeared that there was a bad rod bearing, rod, or rod connector in cylinder #4. Continuing to run the engine would soon result in throwing a rod through the engine block and destroying the engine. The mechanics took an oil sample and departed, and I called my crew to give them the sad news that we were not going to make it.

The guilty party. New Westerbeke looks beautiful but apparently has a mechanical flaw

Everything now is in limbo. We are waiting for the oil analysis results on Wednesday, and then the dealer will talk to Westerbeke about doing the warranty work to repair the engine. Fortunately the engine is so new that it is still under full warranty for parts and, most importantly, labor. I have my fingers crossed that Westerbeke will come through on this without a lot of hassle and red tape as the repair is likely to be extensive. The mechanic said that the engine will have to be disconnected, lifted out of the engine compartment, disassembled, repaired, reassembled, lowered back into place, and then reconnected. I have no idea, none, nada, when the work will start nor how long it will take.

After a year of waiting, and weeks of preparation, and all of the excitement and anticipation leaving next Monday I was surprised to find that I was not really angry nor frustrated or really upset, much.   I was primarily relieved that this happened in port in San Diego and the engine did not throw a rod 50 miles out off the coast or in some small village in Mexico. That would have been a much more difficult situation.

Meanwhile I am back home in Palm Springs doing what I do not do well.... waiting. Once the repairs are authorized and scheduled then I will start to look for probably one crew to go with me to Cabo and LaPaz, Mexico. Or, perhaps, I may decide to single hand her down there. We shall see what unfolds once I know what is happening.