Be The Jam

Position: Victoria Port - Mahé. Seychelles .

S 04°38.99'

E 055°29.60'

The repairs are coming together fast. We have an engine again! Hooray! The cause of the engine failure was a jammed piston. On our way over the water catchments box on the exhaust pipe blowout, it split at the weld. This box stops the water going back up the exhaust and entering the engine via the back passage! to not put to finer point on it. On the crossing we had no choice but to take the box off, so eventually the water got in. We now have a new box, and there was minimal damage to the engine, we were very lucky. Two of the sails are back from the sail maker and the Genoa is due back tomorrow. We are all packing and repairing things like mad men. We have been stuck in this workshop for about a week now, we are ready to leave. We didn't come to Seychelles to see skeletons of boats pulled up on shore, or tar encrusted walkways. We came for some R and R. We have had a good chance to get the ‘Arise’ (the self steering wind vain) out and see what really is wrong with it. It turns out, through lack of use and sea water, that most of the mechanism is ceased. One part had to be replaced, a washer - this was made by the workshop, and the whole lot was given a good grease. Fingers crossed we hope to set it up this time and let it steer the boat for three weeks!