Friday, July 6, 2018

Excuses, and creativity

I can offer several excuses for not going sailing: Very cold weather, fuel price rises, other engagements for key actors, but I won’t. Suffice to say that we made some changes to the sail system to be able to set them better, but have not had a chance to test them. 

First steps to a propellor
Work on the diesel propulsion system is slowly progressing. I had the propeller hubs turned, thank you, Willem Buys! A 6mm steel base plate has become the blank for the propeller. NotwI must find a way to put twist in the blades. I have a supplier for the propeller shaft, I must just get to the airport to pick it up, and then find someone to turn it. And, most important, I must find a way to cut a key slot in both the shaft and the propeller, once the blades and hub are welded together. 

Getting there, but now some twist is needed.
I am also on the hunt for a universal joint coupling. Next week I want to get to a drive shaft manufacturer in Pretoria West, but I also know there are good stuff out in the tractor Pro world. Problem is they don’t speak the same language I do. I will get out to the farming community in Schweizer Renecke, where there is a shop…

Alexander is on the tracks of someone who could turn the bearings and stuffing box, and I have a lead on PTFE/Graphite stuffing cord. 

Expensive broken cable end
In the meantime I bought an old 4.5 hp outboard to drive the boat, but there also I hit snags. The throttle system was hard to operate and the cable end fitting broke. A new cable can be ordered, at just about what I paid for the motor. So I fired up the little Unimat lathe and made the end fitting out of an old bras power fitting. Works, but the system is still stiff. 

Little Unimat at work making a new cable fitting
I also have problems with the carb. Fuel gets through, but not in a dependable way. A rebuild kit is on the way from China. But maybe the old Italian out in Pretoria West might also have some ideas, he has already given me some parts out of an old motor. 

But as soon as the weather is better and we have dependable propulsion we are going sailing!





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