April 14 - Breezy sunny day and the guys start to work through our trouble shooting and “repair” list. Burt determines that in fact he did orient the Tri-color correctly; the radar is tested for operability and it functions, but it must be removed to replace mounting bolts and to “re-engineer” plug providing electrical service and data. Steve Remsberg is still at the marina and in the afternoon he comes over to inspect and analyze rudder/autopilot problem with the guys. We learn that there is considerable lateral as well as up and down movement in the rudder, way too much, which could be the reason that the autopilot quit when the seas became more boisterous. There’s also too much play in the steering cables, even though they were tight when we left PGI, and there is an area under the autopilot ram where the guys at Safe Cove didn’t replace the lazarette “floor” as they were supposed to and it is badly deteriorated. It’s pretty clear that we’re going to have to be hauled out for rudder repair before we can proceed through the Canal.
April 15 - A technician comes to install the new AIS and finds that our old one is transmitting again. Nonetheless I’ve committed to purchase the new one and so we have it installed and keep the old one as a spare. I also arrange for the boat to be hauled the next day.
April 16 - May 10 - We are hauled and find that there is much too much play in the rudder, which alone is a problem and which is also the likely cause of our autopilot problem. The rudder is dropped from the shaft and it is determined that the fix for the problem is the installation of two bushings in the rudder shaft to stabilize and support the rudder. It’s a big job but necessary and the mechanics at Shelter Bay assure us the they have made the same kind of repair/modification on other boats with the same problem and we are comfortable with the level of expertise they exhibit. At the same time Tristan and Burt design a stabilizing fix for the support for the autopilot ram and deterioration in the part of the floor of the lazarette that supports the autopilot ram. It’s a lot of work and pretty expensive, but both designs are very good “fixes” and we can feel comfortable when the work is completed that we won’t have problems with either the rudder or the autopilot ram assembly. Unfortunately due to the yard’s work schedule, the complexity of the necessary fabrications and the May 1 National holiday we are compelled to postpone our scheduled April 22 Canal transit date. Tristan and Burt stay on the boat in the yard although I offer hotel accommodations and I go to the little hotel which is part of the Shelter Bay complex. Turns out it’s a good thing I did. I wind up have to write a Respondent’s Appellate Brief for one of my clients during the next ten days, which I couldn’t possibly have done on the boat. Repairs are completed and we are due to go back into the water on May 3, but there are too many things to do to be ready for our next scheduled Canal transit on May 6, so we again have to postpone transit to the next available date, which turns out to be May 11. Tristan is concerned about our having enough fuel to transit the ITCZ (the Intertropical convergence zone), a broad section of the Eastern Pacific which we must transit to get far enough South and West to pick up the Pacific trade winds and notorious for its extensive calms, often requiring significant motoring. Shortly before we leave Panama we are able to purchase and fill eight 15 gallon fuel jugs, which greatly increase our fuel capacity.