Last month, we had the boat out and motor sailed about as the winds were really fluky. Any way, we came back this week to pull the paddlewheel and close the engine seacock that we didn't do previously due to rain and having company with us. Before we closed the seacock, the Admiral wanted to run the engine. OK. No Problemo. Except that no water is flowing from the exhaust pipe and no gurgling can be heard either. Dammit. It was working two weeks ago. Pull the cover off the raw water pump and inspect the impeller. No missing vanes. Hmm. Pull the hose off the seacock to check supply. Nice flow into the boat but the hose clamp is about to fail. Rusted almost in two on the under side of the hose. Hey, I got spares. New hose clamp on the seacock. So water is getting to the pump and the pump looks good. Had the Admiral bump the engine to make sure the impeller was moving with the pump shaft. (Had that happen before.) Well, hell. The heat exchanger must be fouled. Remove the end plate. Mine does not have the rubber boot everyone else cusses. Zinc is shot. No Problemo. I have spares. Except they are spares for the oil cooler and don't fit the heat exchanger. (Actually, the Admiral looked for the spares and I really thought I had a set in the engine parts box.) Get out my metal coat hanger rod out device and check the top inboard 5 or 6 tubes. No issues. Put everything back together and start the engine. No water and no gurgling. I'm running out of cuss words by now so we stop for the night.
The next day, I find out that the hose clamp on the pump suction is MIA. This could be an issue if the pump is sucking in air at this point. Unlikely but I install a new hose clamp here while noticing sufficient water flow to the pump. I disconnect the pump discharge hose cause I want to test for a blockage by blowing air through the hose, heat exchanger, vacuum breaker and the exhaust elbow. Something on the end of the hose tastes NASTY. I think I poisoned myself but I can here air gurgling in the exhaust muffler so I'm calling it a draw. Told the Admiral to start the engine while I was holding the hose free. Yes, the water pump is working FINE! Slam the hose onto the pump discharge and tighten the clamp. This one is in good shape.
By the time I get done and look into the cockpit, the Admiral is smiling from ear to ear! Success!! Why? How? What was different? Sheesh. Ran the engine for about 20 minutes and it is running cooler than the last time we had her out. Yay!
So I'm crawling out of the bowels of the port side of the engine and notice the solar charger remote display is not on. HUH? The solar charger itself is displaying half characters and not moving. I call Xantrex Customer Support and I am # 10 in the queue so I leave my call back number with them. NO CALL BACK. The next morning I call Xantrex Customer Support and I am # 7 in the queue so I leave my call back number. NO CALL BACK. I talk to an authorized service center in Buda, TX and because it is not mounted in an RV, they will not service my charge controller. But the authorized service center in San Antonio, TX said they can do something with it. But we have another trip planned for the first weekend in November to stay several days on the hook to test run the 12v system before we take off on a long duration cruise. Will the ASC have it fixed by then? Can they fix it? So as a backup plan, I purchased a new charge controller from my favorite online dealer, (NOT WM), that I hope to return to them unopened and pristine. And it is already in transit to me. Plus 5 more zincs for the heat exchanger so we can find the 5 I know we have.
So the final moral to this story seems to be "Just because you're on the hard getting repairs done, don't let your Westerbeke sit for 2 years without running." Because things go wrong and you'll get so frustrated you start looking at younger mistresses.
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