Mica on the Slip for Antifoul and Mechanical Maintenance

Monday 4th May

Mica went up on the slip this morning for her pre trip checkup and maintenance. The bottom was remarkably clean after 12 months in the water. Obviously frequent use keeps the growth down to a minimum.

The propeller sail drive also had only a little growth. The Prop Speed really does seem to do its job its keeping propeller clean. Also the anode doesn't display excessive wear.

Of course, it can't all be good news. When draining the oil from the sail drive it was clear that the seals need replacing as the presence of water in the oil was pretty obvious. The solution was very milky. Glad I discovered it now !

Had I not planned to head North I probably would have left her in the water for another 3 or 4 months before servicing, so would not have picked this problem up until then.

Prior to slipping, I discovered that the Port Navigation light has a wiring problem, probably corrosion  below decks somewhere, as I was unable to track it down above deck. I have decided to replace all of the Nav lights with the newer sealed LED units, as the old style bulb lights leak like a sieve, and need regular maintenance.