The mystery of slightly higher fuel consumption and a subtle vibration has unfortunately been solved.
 |
| The fouled prop |
The picture shows the starboard propeller and rudder – entangled with the remnants of a Chinese fishing net that decided to hitch a ride.
Around lunchtime today, sea conditions moderated just enough for us to safely stop the vessel. Using an underwater camera on a 3-meter pole from the swim platform (duckboard), we were able to inspect the running gear. The footage confirmed our suspicions: we are trailing fishing net debris. No real surprise given the waters we passed through initially.
However, the sea state (1-2m swell) is still not safe enough to attempt diving under a 30+ tonne yacht that's constantly moving. Clearing the propeller will have to wait for calmer conditions. In the meantime, the YDS crew has adapted: we are now running primarily on the port engine at 1800 RPM (consuming 30 lph), with the starboard engine just in gear at low RPM (600) to lubricate the shaft. This configuration has eliminated the vibration, and we are maintaining an average speed of 7 knots with a total fuel burn of approximately 32 lph.
Fuel System Insights
The other ongoing task is managing fuel quality. After cleaning significant contamination from the port filter yesterday, today required cleaning the starboard filter (though less debris was present). It’s common for new vessels to have residual construction debris or initial fuel quality issues. That's why robust filtration and an onboard fuel polishing system – which has been working overtime – are essential components specified or checked during our commissioning process. We suspect the issue stems from the initial fuel load, but will monitor closely when we transfer the Hong Kong diesel carried in drums on deck.
On a positive note, the weather today has been lovely – sunny and very warm/humid outside. Thankfully, the Granocean 60's alternators are generating ample power, allowing us the absolute luxury of running the air conditioning inside. Bliss!
After checking the Windy app with the miracle of Starlink it shows the seas are forecast to decrease further, potentially below 1 meter later tomorrow. Hopefully, this will provide a safe opportunity to dive and remove the pesky net.
Signed, The Yacht Delivery Solutions Team
Yacht Delivery Solutions provides professional sail and power boat delivery services throughout Asia and the South Pacific. Learn more: https://yachtdeliverysolutions.com
Geez, what luck to pick that piece of net up! We love the idea of the selfie stick to take underwater pics though! Glad to hear the AC is working well!
ReplyDelete