We Are Going Cruising.....

Welcome to our Blog. Our latest entry always comes up first... 
Click this link if you want to start at the beginning:
FIRST BLOG ENTRY
If you want to start at the beginning of our trip:
START OF TRIP
If you want to see the story of our trip from South Carolina
(where we bought the boat)
 to Lake Ontario Click this link:
  SOUTH CAROLINA

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After 3 very busy and VERY expensive months we are leaving the dock here in Whangarei on the rising tide tomorrow morning (Monday).  It has been a very frustrating few weeks and we will both be glad to return to the world we feel more comfortable in.

Living on the hook (anchor) is for us a place where we feel most at home and most at peace.  In the last 90 days we have made as many of the repairs and improvements to Blowin' Bubbles as we can.

We have spent almost all our savings and even had to reach into our "emergency" fund to replace a transmission that it turns out didn't need replacing...

That's right, After spending almost $6000 we installed the new transmission only to hear the exact same noise it was making before we started.  We called the mechanic back from Whangarei Marine Services, who in the end just shrugged and admitted he must have been wrong in his diagnosis......

I am pretty sure this is the last time we count on a so called "expert"....  

We now have a spare ZF 63 transmission/gearbox on the boat if anyone needs one.

Oh, and the problem seems to be endemic to this configuration of engine and transmission (Perkins/Hurth ZF) and the most likely culprit might be the drive (damper) plate.  They cost about $200 - $600 in the USA ... That would have been good information to have BEFORE we bought this transmission....

Our Drive Plate

We are going to leave with the noise.  Our dock neighbor, who it turns out is a REAL diesel mechanic, thinks we will likely be OK. And if the problem escalates will help us sort it all out... Thank you Selwyn!

Our plan at the moment is to cruise the east coast of New Zealand's North Island and possibly visit the South Island if time and weather permits.  We are really looking forward to this!

Our last sewing project was to make a cover for the 2hp engine...

We will spend the day getting ready to return to sea...

More soon....