On 19 May, as planned, we sailed out of Tangiers after being there for nearly a full year. We enjoyed our time in Tangiers, made several friends – and made many trips both within the country, and outside (to Canada and Europe). It was time to leave for the Gibraltor area.
We initially stayed in the anchorage at La Linea for a few nights, then moved over to Alcaidesa Marina where we received our new dinghy, a Highfield CL310 (in hypalon) – and then on 26 May were hauled at Varadero Isla Verde at Algeciras (just across the the bay, on the west side). All three of these places are indicated with a white star in this image.
A year ago, we had left Cartagena Spain, annoyed that the boatyard there could not fulfill a booked haul-out (made nearly 10 months earlier with a reservation) – and now we were hauling out to address the same problems. Primarily, it was because the shaft seal was leaking, and some spots on the hull needed paint touch-up that were difficult to do “in water”.
Most working yards in Spain, for insurance and security reasons – will not permit anyone to live onboard while the boat is hauled. We were permitted to work ourselves on the boat (also not permitted in many other yards), and cook meals – but not to use any LPG (we only cook with electricity anyway), shower, use the toilets or sleep on board. So, we opted to stay at the Hotel Marina Victoria, a well kept 2 star hotel about a 10 minute bike ride from the yard. This hotel worked out very well for us, because it was located just at the edge of the city centre, close to many restaurants and services.
Within 24 hours of being hauled, with a bit of help from Diane – I had the shaft out. This, in my opinion, was quite an accomplishment. Primarily, this was due to a large sliding hammer I had bought in Canada nearly a year earlier, in anticipation of this job.
This was no small feat, and in the past it has taken much longer. Once the shaft was on the ground, it was time to assess it’s condition.
The Tides Marine lip seal had worn a serious groove in the SS316L shaft. Normally, the seal can be moved a little up or down the shaft, in order to offset this wear – but I had already done that. In fact, it had already been welded, and repaired in this area when we were in Malaysia in 2017.
The first machine shop to come and visit said that they could not repair the shaft (which normally involves welding, turning and straightening), as it seemed to be beyond his comfort zone. He proposed a new SS316L 1 3/4” shaft (from Barcelona) at a finished cost of 4,900 euros. I found this to be incredibly expensive, no doubt a result of the Barcelona supplier who thought he was sitting on a “gold mine” with an Imperial dimension shaft. Alternatively, he proposed changing entirely from a 1 3/4” shaft (44.45mm) to a metric standard of 45mm, for only 1,900 euros. However, this would have meant that I would have had to also change two cutlass bearings, a shaft seal and bearing, a thrust bearing and a transmission coupling. All of this would cost much more money and time, and only to bring the whole propulsion system to metric standard. Why, I asked – when the boat is returning to the Caribbean next year?
So, the hunt was on for a new shaft. I quickly sourced a UK supplier (lots or imperial shafts in use in the UK) and they proposed a superior product called DUPLEX F51, which is harder, stronger and more corrosion resistant than SS316L. Hardness, for me, is an important quality as it would make the shaft more resistant to seal wear. A few days later, much to my surprise, I readily found a French supplier, Maucour – who could provide the shaft in imperial dimensions, 1 3/4” in TEMET 25, an even better material. Standard SS316L is relatively soft and prone to surface galling during installation or rotation. The harder surface of TEMET 25 maintains its integrity under high friction. A harder, smoother surface finish prevents the propeller shaft from wearing down at the exact point where lip seal rides, reducing the risk of water leaking into the boat. To my knowledge, none of these fancy metallurgical shafts were commonly available in 1999 when I had the first shaft built and fitted. I quickly gravitated to this French supplier, primarily to avoid the nightmare of navigating the importation to Spain. France and Spain, of course – are both part of the European Union.
We are still waiting on the shaft to arrive from France, but it will be here in a few days. In the meantime, I’m working on some rust spots on the hull (only a couple) and toe rail. I’m trying out some new primer for the first time: Owatrol High Strength Corrosion Inhibiting Primer (CIP). I met a Dutch steel boat owner last year in Morocco (on his way to the Canary Islands), and he swore by this product.
At my request, the yard brought in a welding contractor, and for a few hours, they worked on two cracked welds that have annoyed me for a few years. This one is at the stern, just above the waterline – a nuisance to repair and paint, so it’s best to tackle it when on the hard.
I also bought one litre of Coppercoat, the hard antifouling that we put on (4 coats) in October 2020. At that time, we applied 23 litres of Coppercoat, in 4+ coats. This single litre was only to touch up a few spots on the hull, and provide an extra layer at heavy wear points. In these photos, you can see that I’ve been working on touching up some spots on the toe rail, hull (green area) and below waterline (brown).
We cannot work on the boat on Sundays, it’s simply not permitted. So, that means Sunday we go to the laundromat, and walk the streets looking for a new and interesting restaurant. It’s quite pretty here, in most places, and we definitely find it appealing.
We found the local market, just a short walk from our hotel in the city centre, open 6 days a week – not on Sundays.
This is another thing that I like, how they deal with their trash in the city centre. People bring their trash to these receptacles, and then the trucks come by at different times and empty them. They extend under the ground.
Finally, the last thing that I noticed here which is new for me are these metal bars, attached to storefronts – so that you can tie up your dog if going inside for a few minutes. Dogs are mostly welcome in restaurants, but in grocery stores and supermarkets, most people leave them outside tied up like this. I consider this similar to the way that cowboys tied their horses up outside the saloon, in western movies.
