The first thing.
The first thing in our quest to cross the Atlantic onboard the Venatura is to assess the scope of the repairs that need to be done. And to decide if the job can indeed be done in a reasonable amount of time. While some of the maintenance can be done by hand, the part of the equipment we’re most afraid of is the engine. The 240 HP built-in turbocharged engine is not something that can be easily replaced. If the engine is damaged beyond repair, there is no hope of getting the ship to Ireland as of now. Other arrangements must be made, and they must be made here in Canada. This would throw a wrench in our plans.
Therefore, we got to the engine first. On the first try, it didn’t start properly. We cycled the old diesel out of her to make sure the new, fresh diesel fuel was in. Next, we had to bleed the injectors to ensure that all cylinders got fuel. After that, we tried to fire her up. And it almost seemed that she was about to engage the engine, but the starter died. As it turned out, it was the battery.
Fixes the problem.
We charged the battery overnight and tried again. She turned alright, and we could see a small trickle of smoke coming out, but the battery gave up again. It was dead, and no amount of charging would fix it. After a trip to the local hardware store, we came back with a new battery. We’re going to charge it overnight and see if it fixes the problem.
Meanwhile, we will replace fuel, oil, and air filters. It begins to look like there’s hope for the engine after all. Not for turbo, though. It seems jammed shut. It is highly doubtful that we can make it work without a workshop. We can’t wait to see if she starts with a new battery tomorrow.
We got a bit grumpy.
While working on the engine, we got a bit grumpy. Jetlag, hot, humid weather, and a large workload took it’s toll, and we started getting on each other’s nerves. Luckily, when evening came, we made quite a discovery. They had Guinness in a local store. And we know from a reliable source that Canadian whiskey is not half-bad (the reliable source being us deinking Canadian whiskey in the past). So we stocked up, and soon enough, we stopped being grumpy.
The next morning’s wake-up was not one of the most lively ones in recorded history, but it was quite a joyful one, as it turns out we had made a friend. A local, named Bradley. Bradley was a Harley Davidson owner and enthusiast, and, as such, he owned an engine workshop. A thing, as we all know, is necessary in the life of any Harley owner. They are great bikes as long as you don’t mind spending more time fixing them than riding them.
It started!
When the vertical position stopped being a challenge, we went to check if the problem with the engine starting was a battery problem or something else. We linked the new and fully charged batteries, and… It started! With that massive boost to morale, we went forth and checked the sails. Those are, in the end, going to be our main propulsion for the trip.