Four nights in Shearwater and a couple of boat-bucks later, we are again mobile.
The engine mounts have been welded up (and somewhat reinforced), and we have replaced the flexible disk coupler which was squeezed in between the transmission and the prop shaft. This coupler probably saved the day, as it took up the flex in the drive when the engine fell, sacrificing itself in the process, as it is designed to do. This is the part that we had to wait for 2 days to get shipped in from Vancouver. It is not the cheapest piece of rubber in the world, but well worth it.
So, this morning, after a final breakfast at the resort, we motored for a couple of hours north, to Wigham Cove on Yeo Island - sort of a test for the engine and drive-train, and to get us back in the habit of anchoring again.
So far, so good. Actually, the engine seems to be quieter and have less vibration now than it ever did before - maybe this is a good sign.
As for Shearwater, we were really impressed with everybody there. The harbour master was great at getting us a place to stay for as long as we needed, the mechanics were very quick and hard-working. All of the staff treated us very well. If we had to have problems, there are a lot of worse places we could have been. We highly recommend it, if you are ever up this way.
Wigham Cove turns out to be a very nice anchorage, with only a few hazards to avoid when coming in. We have a spot with lots of swinging room and a well-set anchor, which always makes for a restful night, even if the winds do come up later. A note in one of our cruising guides mentions that the bottom is stinky mud known locally as `loon shit`. I guess we will face that when we pull the chain up tomorrow.
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