Illimite' has what is called a sail drive.
The inboard diesel engine shaft enters the sail drive
The sail drive then diverts the power to the prop, sort of like the lower unit on an outboard
There are seals that go around the propeller shaft that keeps the salt water out
If a plastic bag or piece of line gets wrapped up in the shaft it can cause the seals to fail
Then the oil in the sail drive looks like a frothy milk shake when you check it
Thats what happened to us almost 2 months ago and have been waiting
to get the boat out of the water to change the seals.
Finally made it to Helena Marina up a river in western New Guinea
where Wick has a trailer he says he can haul me
out on to change the seals. He had us tie up at his ramp waiting on high tide
After an hour of trying to get Illimite' on the trailer it was decided by Wick that
it wasn't fitting right and that we should cancel the haul out.
We have no other location to haul out until possibly Japan
Discussed our options and decided to try to dry out Illimite' on his ramp
There is predicted less than 3 foot of tide and might not get below sail drive
The tension is mounting!
So we pulled back out and sat in front of the ramp another night
Waiting for the next days high tide
I got in the muddy water this time to adjust some planks under Illimite'
trying to keep her as high as possible
The tide did go down just far enough and after 2 hours squatting in muddy crocodile infested
water got the sail drive seals changed
Unfortunately Noelle did not want to get in the water behind the boat and take my picture.
She says that's why women live longer
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