Theory of Constraints

It is amazing how one tiny bottleneck can bring an entire operation to a standstill. That is the essence of the Theory of Constraints, and Hazel delivered a textbook demonstration. As the photos show, a single 92 dollar part brought her to a dead stop on the water. The culprit was a Vetus ASD anti siphon.

In simple terms, this little device allows seawater to mix with the exhaust to cool the Yanmar diesel engine through the heat exchanger. It is a one way flow system designed to prevent seawater from siphoning back into the engine. Not exactly glamorous, but absolutely essential. I know this is probably more mechanical detail than anyone asked for, but it is worth explaining how such a small component can halt a 40 foot boat in her tracks.

The rest of the day was spent combing through the entire cooling system, checking every hose, clamp, and fitting that even hinted at needing replacement. The good news is that everything looks to be in excellent condition except for the anti siphon that failed us.

People often think working on a boat means tightening a bolt or two. In reality, it is a full scale production. To access the engine for a proper inspection, every storage locker and the entire quarter berth had to be emptied. It takes an hour just to clear the space, another hour to put it all back, and about three hours for the actual inspection. Still, there is a silver lining. Each teardown and repack helps me remember where everything lives. Slowly but surely, Hazel’s storage is becoming more logical.

The replacement part is on order and scheduled to arrive Friday at 10:30. Installing it should be straightforward, though I am almost afraid to put that in writing. Fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, my shipmate Peter has been off on his own odyssey: grocery shopping, laundry, and who knows what else. I have not seen him since 7:30 this morning. I trust he will return eventually, ideally with his beloved cold cuts in hand.

If the installation goes smoothly, we are aiming for a Saturday morning departure. But the weather forecast is looking grim with 30 knot winds, gusts to 40, and 11 foot seas. We may end up hunkering down until Sunday or Monday. Safety first. Hazel has made that abundantly clear.