It turns out we bent more than a shaft.

The starboard strut was bent pretty bad.

Shake N Bake's struts are huge and don't really want to bend.

Brian and Jim from Sheffield propeller came out to bend it back into place.

At one point they were using a come along attached to a Ford F350, but the truck moved and the strut didn't, so Mark from Coast Diesel pulled his truck up and they chained their truck to his.

They heated the strut up with a blow torch, torqued the hell out if it with the come along, and finally got the shaft going through the center of the hole in the hull.

We dropped her in the water and ran her up, but she was still shaking.

Mark took a look at the shaft coupling and it was not true.

DAMN.  The new shaft got bent somehow.

Sheffield is on it and is truing it up.

She should be up and running soon, just in time for the big winds headed our way next week.

Captain Mike

It feels like groundhog day around here.

Get up, go to boat, watch people pull my drivetrain apart.

At least we did not have to put her on the lift for the 3rd time this week.

Deny and Mark from Coast Diesel were on Shake N Bake bright and early and doing a differential diagnosis on the starboard vibration.

The measured the transmission output shaft (don't ask me how) and it is true.

The struts are good and the prop is good, which leaves the transmission to shaft connection.

Jim from Sheffield marine is going to be here first thing Wednesday to align the shaft.

Hopefully that will be the end to our bad vibrations.

Stay tuned...

Captain Mike

Peterson CAT kicked ass and one day after calling them I had 4 brand new engine mounts at my office.

Jenn and I delivered them later Friday and Saturday morning Coast Diesel put in all 4 mounts.

Monday AM Coast Diesel is going to align them and mic them and we should splash her and go for a test drive.

We are pretty much out of stuff to replace, so lets hope this does it.

While we were down, we decided to replace some stuff that was starting to wear.

Jim from Sheffield Propeller drove out the Ilwaco and he and Clark removed the old cutlass bearings and installed new ones.

It was a tough, dirty job, but Jim and Clark got it done.

If you ever need and prop, strut, or shaft work, Sheffield is the ONLY place to get it done- they really, really know this stuff and have all of the cool tools.

Lets hope there are only good vibrations when we splash Shake N Bake in the AM.

Captain Mike

​

Deny, and Mark from Coast Diesel, busted their asses today and got the new shaft in.

We went for a test drive and the starboard motor was rattling around like a washing machine that is out of balance.

Whatever we hit must be pretty hard, as it also broke all four engine mounts.

The parts hunt begins in the AM.

It is killing us to stay tied to the dock and we can't wait to get her fixed and pointed west.

Captain Mike

We pulled the boat today and it looks like we snapped a shaft.

That is one hell of a big piece of stainless steel to just shear.

Luckily Sheffield Propeller is able to make us a new one and luckily we have a spare prop.

Hopefully we can be back in the water on Wednesday.

Stay tuned.

Captain Mike

DirtyE just called from 30 miles out.

They hit something and there is a bad vibration in one motor.

I hope it is just something wrapped around the prop, but is sounded more like they hit something solid.

Best case scenario, which is unlikely, we are up and running Monday.

If we bent a shaft, it is more like a week.

If it took out our transmission, it could be a few weeks.

We will update you as soon as we know more.

Pulling her at 8 and have our fingers crossed that it just line wrapped around the shaft.

Captain Mike

DirtyE and Clark were back at it with the same crew that plugged the boat yesterday.

Fishing was good, not great.

Half plugged.

DirtyE and Clark at it again in the AM.

Captain Mike

DirtyE just called.

Running in.

Plugged plus on a NICE ocean.

The next 10 days look like flat ocean.

A bad time to be a tuna and a great time to be a tuna fisherman.

​Captain Mike

We sat out the tide and left at a leisurely 8:30.

We were running deep west when Opportunaty called us in 10 miles to our south.

We ran there, dropped lines, and were in fish right away.

After a "practice stop", they crew clicked and it was game on.

Three hours later, we were plugged, but more is better, so we kept fishing and caught a few more.

Big John had to stand on the boxes to get them closed.

It was one hell of a day.

DirtyE and Clark are at it in the AM.

​Captain Mike

Today we ran WAY out, like 85 miles, based on a tip from a buddy who was out there.

We were in them almost right away and had them boiling.

We missed a few, but put some on the deck, including one person's first fish (of any kind) ever.

What a first fishing trip.

Fishing was steady and we ended the day half plugged.

Our buddy, who as been on them for a week (he caught 200 today) said they are moving north and in.

We can't wait.

​Captain Mike