{"id":21229,"date":"2025-05-16T08:46:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=21229"},"modified":"2025-05-16T17:09:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T21:09:55","slug":"team-aleta-goes-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2025\/05\/16\/team-aleta-goes-south\/","title":{"rendered":"Team “Aleta Goes South”"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 54\u00b018’37.8″N 9\u00b040’58.6″E<\/a><\/h6>\n
The Story So Far\u2026<\/h6>\n

The last time our plucky heroes were in Germany they were stuck halfway up the Kiel Canal without an engine. Never to back down in the face of a challenge, Carol and Mike abandoned Aleta at her dock and toured South Africa for a month. They then spent the next seven months swanning around the United States waiting for Germany\u2019s winter to end. By mid-April they could wait no longer, and they boarded a flight for Hamburg. Piling all their worthy belongings into a rental car they drove as fast as their speed-limited electric VW would allow them back to B\u00fcdelsdorf<\/a>. It is there we pick up the story\u2026<\/p>\n

Spring Cleaning<\/h6>\n

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Roland, our saviour last summer, had sent us cheery monthly updates on Aleta\u2019s condition along with local weather reports. The winter had been mild. A few storms had blown out of the North Sea across the region, but nothing serious. Less than a week of sub-zero weather resulted in only a day or so of thin ice in the harbour.<\/p>\n

As a result, Aleta looked far better than we expected. Below decks, the canal\u2019s cold water combined with the cool weather and kept condensation to a manageable minimum. Prior to leaving, we packed everything we could into vacuum bags which miraculously stayed intact. Mildew? There was a bit, but no more than we\u2019ve dealt with over the years. Nothing a bit of vinegar and elbow grease couldn\u2019t manage.<\/p>\n

Of course everything was crowded hugger mugger below decks. Lines, sails, cushions, gear, books had all been removed from their cupboards to keep air circulating as much as possible. The dorade vents<\/a> helped let in a little fresh air when the wind came out of the west. After three days of cleaning and reorganizing we managed to walk the length of the cabin unencumbered. Aleta still wasn\u2019t repaired, but at least we could move around our home.<\/p>\n

Engineering Help<\/h6>\n

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Over the winter, we got in contact with another B\u00fcdelsdorfer Yacht-Club<\/a> (BYC) member, Stephen. Stephen has been rebuilding his 45\u2019 Aloa centre-cockpit ketch, Odile, for the past three years. A lifelong sailor, Stephen grew up sailing the Elbe River in 8.5m (28\u2019) open Jugendwanderkutter<\/a>. Odile is the boat he plans to sail over the horizon. After three years of steady work, Odile\u2019s chain and wire steering is now hydraulic, her big Perkins four banger engine has been completely rebuilt, and she\u2019s been (almost) fully rewired.<\/p>\n

Now intimately familiar with all the major mechanical parts of his boat, I made pains to point out to Stephen that however frustrating the work is, he can now fix anything on the boat anywhere in the world. The ability to fix your (damn) boat in far flung places (like B\u00fcdelsdorf or Pulau Bintang), dear reader, is the mark of a true cruiser. I am, by comparison, a holidaymaker. When we first met IRL<\/a>, we exchanged Signal contact information from which Stephen formed a group titled, ‘Team “Aleta goes south\u201d’.<\/p>\n

To his credit, Stephen had recklessly volunteered to help me replace Aleta\u2019s busted damper plate. I have learned never to refuse an offer of help when it is sincerely given. Aside from a few posts to cruising forums and the Valiant owner\u2019s Facebook group, I had only a theoretical understanding of the project we were about to undertake. \u201cA good mechanic would take about 90 minutes\u201d, I was assured by the blogosphere. Such estimates are unhelpful horse pucky! Pure unadulterated horse pucky! Besides, we wanted to undertake the repair with Aleta in the water. \u2018Want\u2019 is the wrong word. We HAD<\/em> to make the repair in the water since there was nowhere around to haul Aleta out. Let me explain.<\/p>\n

Tech Talk<\/h6>\n

This may get a little technical, but I promise I\u2019ll try and keep it at a level a marketing manager (like me) can understand. The damper plate is the link between the engine\u2019s crankshaft and the gearbox. The plate screws into the flywheel and spins with the motor. At its centre is a single cog that the gearbox\u2019s spline fits into. A spline in this case is a tapered shaft with ridges that fit neatly into the damper plate cog. In addition, the damper plate has a series of springs to reduce vibration and the shock of engaging the gearbox. A lot like a clutch; though Aleta has only one forward gear and one reverse. Without a damper plate the flywheel spins uselessly because no energy is transferred to the gears. That means the propshaft and propellor won\u2019t turn either. Aleta can still sail, of course, but only in an 18th<\/sup> century kind of way.<\/p>\n

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