Looks Like We Have a Problem

Monday was planned to be a short day with just 65 miles to Stuart, FL which was to be our "staging" to cross the state through the Okeechobbe Waterway. While the run was easy and brief, the end result was not a welcome sight.

After fueling and docking the boat, I did my normal engine checks in preparation for the next day. I was surprised to find not just one problem but two! It seems the bushing on the starboard engine drive shaft was staring to come apart and showed evidence of black duct and small pieces of rubber scattered about. If that wasn't enough to cause me pause, I also found an oil leak on the starboard Zeus drive unit that seemed to be coming from the seal around the oil pump.

I was able to contact the folks at Siebert Yacht Management in Jupiter (that did the original rigging of the boat) who were able to come by and help diagnose the problem. Unfortunately, it was going to require the attention of a Cummins certified tech who was not readily available.

After further discussion along with some pictures of the problem to my primary Cummins tech on the west coast, it was determined that both issues were manageable and not likely to cause further damage before being repaired. With that advice, and a cautious approach to running the boat, we decided to continue our trip with only two more stops along the route.

As we were treated to a beautiful sun set over the St. Lucie River that evening, we contemplated our next few days getting Endless Summer back to Longboat Key.

Sunset Bay Marina - Stuart, FL