Boat Repairs, San Carlos - Prairie SeaShell Sea Stories

San Carlos, September 11, 2009

  Engine bracket

Yesterday when I was trying to change the back engine mount I dicovered the bracket that attaches the engine mount to the engine block was broken not only that but 2 bolts were broken off.

 

So I headed to the bus to take the bracket into Guaymas to get it welded.

 

On the way I see someone welding in their back yard, so I take the bracket there and they weld it for me. (sign said English spoken) no one spoke a word of English. They did get the job done, for about $10.00.

 

I continued on to Guaymas to get some groceries. After lunch I came back to San Carlos and went to the boat with welded bracket. When I tried to get it in place I dicovered the front bracket was broken as well.

 

How we got accross the Sea of Cortez with both brackets broken, I don't know. Time is getting late so I rush back to the welders and get there just before they close for the weekend and get the other bracket welded.

 

This morning I'm going back to the boat and try one more time to get the new engine mounts installed.

 

Still now power in the boat yard.

Engine mounts. Note the two bolts broken off flush with the block. It took 4 hours to get them out without damaging the block. Hard to move a 350 lb. engine with the limited supply of tools I have onboard.

Welding shop near San Carlos. 3 Mexicans weld all day in this open air shop with just some shade cloth overhead. They must sweat gallons.

San Carlos, September 12, 2009

The Mexicans have stood up and moved the 2 largest boats that were on their side, but when they dug the debris out from under the smaller one they discovered the fin keel had snapped off.

A lot of the final clean up has to be done with a spade as there is lots of expensive equipment barried in the mud. You can see the wooden mast that belongs to one boat that they discovered this way.

Still don't know when I will be able to get moved to where there is power. I have found out the little router that I brought works on the inverter so have started modifying the engine bed to accomodate the larger engine mounts that we hope solve the vibration problem that was causing the broken mounts.

San Carlos welding shop.

San Carlos boat yard cleanup.

San Carlos boat yard clean up.

San Carlos boat yard cleanup. Boat mast.

San Carlos boat yard clean up.

San Carlos boat yard cleanup.

San Carlos, September 14, 2009

Yesterday being Sunday, not much work was done at the boat yard. I had found a taxi driver with a big old Ford Crown Victoria who could make it up the road into Marina Seca. I had him take our SailRite sewing machine to the motel so that In the evening I could work on sewing up a new anchor riding sail.

This morning it was back to the boat in +35C heat to work on the engine mounts. The little router I brought down here works OK on the inverter. (Webmaster's note: Prairie SeaShell has a solar panel to charge the batteries).

I was able set the new engine mounts down an inch below where the old ones were, as they are much larger. I sure hope they solve the vibration problem, as it has been a lot of work installing them. Still one more to get in tomorrow.

Below are 5 pictures showing the work being done in digging out the wall where all the power, water, compressed air, etc. ran. Some sections have nothing left, only the footing that you almost can't see in the 5th picture.

How would like to be working with a spade in +35C heat all day. I don't know what these fellows are being paid but I read that in the state of Sonora where we are,  the minimum wage is equivalent to $7.50 per day. NOT PER HOUR.

Yard cleanup.

San Carlos boat yard cleanup.

yard cleanup

San Carlos boat yard cleanup.

San Carlos yard cleanup

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