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Well done Steve Great result, Happy that one of my spares got you out of a fix. Alfresco also went back in yesterday.😁 New starter got her going in less than one revolution. Like you I had the defective Bell Housing machined and sleeved to take a new bearing, rather than replace it with the new unit which would have been a special order from Volvo at £1500 plus VAT. Ivan at lake engineering did a great job. Luckily my son Dan and I do the other engineering. As taking the leg off and getting the engine out and stripped, then reversing those processes is very labour intensive and hence expensive. We still use genuine Volvo parts so the wallet still took a bash. We painted the engine while out so that will help as it ages. Nice to have her back afloat again Charlie

April fish of the month. 1st Place; Dave Evans Pollock 16lb 0oz 100% Specimen £25 Voucher 2nd Place; Chris Witheford Plaice 3lb 05oz 83% Specimen 3rd Place; Dave Evans Garfish 1lb 0oz 80% Specimen Please add photos if possible.

The wear groves in the prop shafts were repaired with a molybdenum thermal coating. The process consisted of grinding back the shaft, spraying on the molybdenum thermal coating, then grinding the shaft to size. The photo below shows the finished shafts. It was not necessary to remove the bearings etc on the shafts which saved additional expense. The repair was handled by Sam Cobb of landtosea.co.uk, he uses a local factory, I don’t know which one. It took 3 weeks in all. I was charged £290 plus VAT per shaft. Ropewalk were very happy with the quality of the finished shafts. They have been refitted and are in use and my boat launched yesterday, yippee. I was told the repair should last longer than the original shafts, since I got 1500 hours out of them it should mean I’ll never have issue again. Sam told me the process is used to repair wind turbine shafts, IPS drives among many other items. Also a big thank you to Charlie for letting me have a reconditioned steering ram to replace one I found leaking on the night before launch, it got me out of a hole.

Yes it is a great result Graham, I was otherwise looking at a cost of about £5k including VAT for new shafts and shiming. I'm sharing it as all too often all that is offered is replacement when IMO effort should be made to repair and not just for financial reasons, it's such a waste. Steering rams is another, the big volvo dealers/service agents that I know don't have reconditioned ones on the shelf, they will happily sell you a new one though, and your old one, they throw it away! 😒

Thanks Steve I have a different problem at the moment, the engine is out, my bell housing is awaiting machining for a new liner sleeve again. Delayed by Easter and the fact that I am off work with covid. I intended to have all the preps done ready and the engine de rusted and painted by now, but am still awaiting negative tests. I hope others are enjoying the sunny weather and getting out,