New Engine Ready for Installation

Finally, at last.  It seems this engine replacement has taken forever.  Astraea and I and our crew of two were scheduled to leave at the end of October last year for Mexico with the Baja Haha.  Just before departing I discovered a slight noise in the engine that concerned me, and further analysis by several mechanics confirmed my decision to pull and open and inspect the engine.  It was discovered that the engine, a year old with 160 hours on it, had an incorrrectly designed salt water cooling system that had allowed water to enter the engine.  It was ruined (see earlier posts for the gruesome details). 

The last five months has been a frustrating experience with mechanics, insurance company, boatyard, Westerbeke, ad nauseum.  Finally the new engine has arrived in San Diego at Cogswell Marine and has had the necessary modificatons made and is ready to install.  The installation is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday March 15-16.  The engine installation itself is not that complicated, as an identical engine is being installed.  The more complex part is redesigning and reworking the wet exhaust system to ensure that sea water will not enter the engine again.  I have full confidence in Pete Cogswell of Cogswell Marine that he has a proper design.  In fact, the design that he is doing is virtually identical to the original design of the old Isuzu engine that the boatyard tore out and replaced.  We are also installing a much larger custom made wet exhaust muffler.   

Now, however, a new twist has been added.  Out of nowhere I have received a job offer for a very senior executive position.  I had really decided a  year ago that my professional career was over and my future was sailing and retirement.  Now what could be a great professional opportunity has arisen.  I will spend most of next week oboard Astraea for the engine installation and decide whether to turn down the job and go cruising now, or to take the job and go cruising later.  My feelings on this shift from day to day.  This is going to take some real introspection, some soul searching. 

But for now, engine installation time.  Finally!  Next week!  As far as the job opportunity, well, as Scarlett O'Hara famously said, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

New Engine sitting at Cogswell Marine, San Diego, ready for install March 15

Replacement engine to be ordered

Extensive review of the engine installation on Astraea determined that the wet exhaust system was improperly designed.  In the installation of the new engine on Astraea the design of the wet exhaust system had been done such that each time the engine was shut off the volume of water spilling down from the high point in the exhaust system was significantly greater than the vertical water lift muffler could handle.  This resulted in salt water from the wet exhaust backing up into the muffler system and then into the cylinders.  This process had apparently been going on since the engine was installed and the damage was cumulative, culminating in a point where the damage was so extensive that I could hear the knocking from the badly damaged cylinders.  It is actually quite amazing that the engine ran at all with such extensive damage.  It is apparent that it would NOT have run much longer as the corrossion was moving further into the engine with time.  Also, the height of the exhaust system loop had caused excessive back pressure, resulting in incomplete combustion and heavy carbonization and "gunking" of the engine with gooey black carbon in the culinders and valves. 

It is really inconceivable that Svendsen's Boat Works could have made such a major mistake in the design of the wet exhaust system.  I had trusted them with my boat, my life, and the life of my crew, and paid a premium price of about $36,000 for the repowering.  And they screwed it up.  Inconceivable.  Goes to show that paying premium price does not always assure premium quality.  I doubt I will ever trust a boat yard again. 

Hopefully we will soon be installing the new engine.  Perhaps some of the Winter cruising season in Mexico can be salvaged and the dream of cruising will become real, at last.  Better late than never.    

Engine out and disassembled

After almost two months since hearing a problem in my new Westerbeke engine the engine has been removed and disassembled in the diesel shop. It turns out it was NOT what I expected. It was not a bent rod or a bad rod bearing as four mechanics had thought.  The noise was a result of the 4th cylinder only occasionally firing due to serious corrosion. The 3rd cylinder was not much better. Also, the entire interior of the engine was full of carbon and gunk due to incomplete combustion caused by excessive backpressue.  The damage is the result of the cumulative process of water intrusion through the wet exhaust sytem since the engine was installed.

The engine is basically destroyed and beyond economical repair.

The engine was laid out at the diesel shop in Chula Vista like something from "CSI Diesel". All the parts laid out for inspection, analysis, and photographing. What an ugly mess. The poor combustion and the heavy salt water backflow had left it black and gooey and rusted all through the interior.

It could be worse. I am just thankful that I detected the strange sounds from the engine the week before I was scheduled to sail with my crew to Mexico in the Baja Haha. I am thankful that I made the decision not to leave port until the problem was resolved. Had I not taken these actions then I would probably be sitting in Mexico with an engine that is totally destroyed, an improperly designed exhaust system, and far from people who could help me resolve this problem.

Here are some pictures of the engine removal. It was must easier than I expected. Three men had the engine out and on the dock in about 2 hours. I was really surprised. However they were very experienced professionals and knew what they were doing. That always helps.

Here is the engine being disconnected from fuel, water, cooling, shaft, etc. and prepared for lifting.

Lifting the engine out of the engine compartment, which is below the cockpit sole.

The engine resting on the cockpit sole and ready to be manhandled aft to beneath the companionway.

The engine comes up through the companionway.  The end of the boom is being used as a lifting point for the hoist.

The engine, without the transmission, is swung out over the pier using the main boom as a crane.

The engine is apart and layed out in the diesel shop like something from "CSI Diesel Engine".  It is apparent that there was serious water intrusion form the wet exhaust system and also incomplete combustion due to excessive backpressure.  The engine is ready for the boatyard to inspect.  Now I wait and see if the boatyard will accept responsibility for their work.  I trust they will. 

$40,000 Toast

The mechanic from A to B Marine came on Friday.  This was the third master mechanic and their fourth trip to the boat over four weeks of waiting.  This time they did a pressure test of the cooling system, which held at 14psi and passed.  They then did a compression test and this showed a compression problem with cylinder four.  The theory is that the rod bearing, rod connector, or something else in cylinder four has failed, resulting in metal particles scoring the cylinder lining.  According to Richard Rock, one of the owners of A to B Marine, this engine is toast.  So now I have this big new red Westerbeke engine, which only has 180 hours on it, which cost about $14K+, and which cost another $22K-$26K to have professionally installed, and it is worthless.  Also, plans for Mexico and the South Pacific this year are looking grim unless somebody steps up to the plate and takes care of this under warranty QUICKLY.  The Westerbeke Warranty is a full parts, labor and material for the first two years, and full warranty for five years.  This engine has one year and only 180 hours, which is nothing for a marine diesel.

The Westerbeke reps tagged out the engine and disabled it so it could not be started and we wait, just like we have done for four weeks now.  Wait for Westerbeke reps to make decisions on what they are going to do.  Currently Astraea sits needing a heart transplant.  A big red Westerbeke heart.  Let's hope that Westerbeke stands behind their products and that this does not become some huge battle between a consumer and a big  corporation.  

The New Westerbeke 44B4 arrives at Svendsens's.  An exciting day!!!

 The engine.  What a beauty!  

My old loyal Isuzu.  She did not look like much but she performed well for 27 years.  The only problem with her is getting parts, service, maintenance, etc.  The new Westerbeke (theoretically) should provide years of worry free service.

The engine compartment steam cleaned, new engine base built,  ready to take the new Westerbeke.

 

 This is like a heart transplant for a boat.  A major evolution.  Took two master mechanics two weeks to do the work, plus lots of cleaners, painters, electricians, ship fitters, and riggers. 

 

 

The new Westerbeke being lowered into place and connected.

 

The new Westerbeke installation complete with new high capacity alternator and dual Racor 2 micron filters.  Little did I know that this $36,000 to $40,000 worth of new engine would be totally "toast" within 180 operating hours.  I am beginning to wish I had kept the old Isuzu and had it rebuilt.  I would now be in Mexico and preparing to sail to the South Pacific if I had not done this engine replacement.  I would also have had a lot more money in the bank and a lot less stress in my life. 

Waiting for Westerbeke

This weekend is three weeks since I first heard the strange noise coming from my new Westerbeke diesel engine.  This Monday will mark three weeks since I started calling the local San Diego distributor of Westerbeke, A to Z Marine, and asked for help.  Technically we are no further along now than we were three weeks ago.  After a year of planning and weeks of preparation Astraea sits all fueled and ready to sail to Mexico yet we just sit in the marina and wait..... and wait...... and wait.  Everyone tells me that I am fortunate that this happened in San Diego and not in Mexico, however I am beginning to feel like San Diego is a third world country as far as getting anything done on my engine.

The West Coast Westerbeke representative told the San Diego people at A to Z that they were certain that I had a classic and apparently common case of what he called "injector knock".  He said that apparently I had gotten some contaminated fuel and the contamination had gotten to the injector and fouled or damaged the injector and this was causing the knocking sound.  I found this difficult to accept in that I had only purchased fuel twice since the engine was new, one time in San Francisco and the other time in Half Moon Bay.  Both fueling depots were in excellent marinas and operated under brand names.  Also, the new engine has a top of the line dual Racor filter system with 2 micron filters, plus there is a 5 micron filter on the engine.  It did not seem possible that any contamination could have gotten through the gauntlet of those filters.  However as this guy is the West Coast honcho we had to wait until he had someone come out to do another test.  This test was to swap the injectors from cylindar one and four.  If after swapping the injectors the knocking sound moved from cylinder four to cylinder one then it would be apparent that the problem was the injector.  This would simply require the injector to go to the injector shop for inspection and repair or replacement.  Simple.

However Thursday the A to Z Marine people told me that a third master mechanic specializing the Westerbeke engines was coming to the boat on Friday morning to swap the injectors for this test.  I drove to San Diego the night before in order to be there when they arrived.  As promised the mechanic, Roger, showed up on Friday morning and swapped the injectors.  He then bled the engine fuel system of air and then we started the engine.  Unfortunately swapping the injectors resulted in no change in the engine nose.  The knocking was still coming from cylinder four.

In three weeks we have had three master mechanics sent by the Westerbeke reps come to the boat and do tests.  All three have now come to the same conclusion, that cylinder four has a bad rod bearing, bad rod connector, or other serious problem in the cylinder that, if not corrected, will result in throwing a rod through the side of the engine.

A to Z Marine promised to get back to me late last Friday (which they did not) or this coming Monday with further guidance from the West Coast Westerbeke rep.  I am beginning to worry about how long this is all going to take to just get authorization to fix this problem.  I have requested a new engine.  If this engine failed at 180 hours with a bad bearing then what is to say the other bearings will not also soon fail?  Also, trying to repair this engine would be a major job, much more complicated than just a swap out for a new engine.  The engine would have to be disconnected, lifted off it's engine mounts and up into the main salon, and then disassembled, inspected, repair parts obtained, engine reassembled, lowered back into place, reconnected, and tested.  I would have very little faith in the engine after having it all disassembled and reassembled, therefore I want a NEW ENGINE! 

I am anxious to get this whole project quickly started as every day of delay is another day in the Mexico cruising season lost forever.  Also, I have missed the Baja Haha, which I had been anxious to be in for the past year;  I lost my crew, and they lost their airline tickets back from Mexico.  I have also lost my non refundable marina depost of $600 for LaPaz, and my ticket back to Palm Springs from Cabo for the holidays.  Lots of plans and lots of dollars have been lost due to this engine failure. Counting additional marina fees in San Diego, lost deposits, lost airline tickets, wasted Mexican insurance fees, etc., so far this little debacle has cost me about $4000 in direct costs, not to mention the loss of cruising time...... which is priceless. 

What is really frustrating is that I spent $40,000 for this new engine just so I would not have to worry about problems like this.  I bought Westerbeke due to their excellent reputation and my experience with them in the Navy.  To have this happen is disheartening and disappointing, to say the least.    To see what this entailed click here for pictures and description of installing this new Westerbeke engine.     

I am attempting to be patient and polite, however thre weeks have passed and I have gotten nowhere other than three different mechanics coming to the same conclusion.  If something definitive does not happen soon then I am going to have to decide what step to take next.  I am still hopeful, however, that Westerbeke, who has been in the marine diesel business since 1937 and is an American company, will step up to the plate and do what is right:  move quickly to fix a serious problem with an very expensive engine that is still under full warranty.

Weserbeke, please do the right thing!!!!

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.

Update via satellite

This is a test of updating my new blog page via my satellite phone. If this shows up on my blog page properly it will mean that I can blog from anywhere in the world via my Iridium phone, a modem, and my tiny little Acer laptop that is set up to work with the Iridium satellite phone.
This gives me some pause as I sit here and contemplate all of this technology and the pace that technlogy is moving. When I hit the "send" button on my laptop this e-mail will transfer from my laptop via a modem to my Iridium 9505A satellite cell phone, a portable phone that looks like a large cell phone with a one foot antenna sticking out the top of it. When I click send on my e-mail interface the cell phone will lock it's signal onto one of the 66 Iridium satellites orbiting the earth, broadcast my blog entry into space to the satellite where the satellite will then send then beam the message back to earh to the Iridium land network. This e-mail will then pass through countless switches and routers as it connects to the Internet, and then post on my blog.  This will all happen in a few seconds, probably a few milliseconds.
Amazing this day and age we live in. When I graduated from the Naval Academy and went to sea for the first time in 1972, the words "laptop, e-mail, blog, Internet", were not even in the vocabulary. I can also remember as a child when the Russians launched the first satellite into space, Sputnik, in October 1957. I stood outside with my grandmother and like millions of other people looked up in the sky at night to try to see this thing flying overhead in space.
Now, 52 years later, which is a long time relative to our lifespans, but a mere blink of the eye in the history of mankind, I am using all this technology and these gadgets to do easily what would have then been the subject of science fiction. A hundred years ago it would have all been called magic. Yet we take it all in stride. Could even DaVinci have dreamed of this type of consumer technology?
It is easy to become jaded in our age of technological miracles. If however we stop and think about it, wow, it is really in fact quite miraculous.
Now, if I can just figure out how to post on Facebook via satellite! So totally kewl.