So, a day later, we are finally ready to leave St Martin and continue south. Stock up on food, say goodbye to new friends, check engine-WAIT. What are these parts in the bilge?? Alternator pulley and belts?? That explains the loud screech and why it stopped. After pulling the alternator off, noted that the threads for the nut that holds the pulley on are worn smooth. How long had this been going on? (With a v-drive, alternator is on the front of the engine which is now the back, meaning you have to crawl over engine to see it.)
A day spent over at the Dutch side at ElecTec, FKG metal works, Pete's machine and engine shop, etc. yielded the good news that the alternator was fine, as a paper weight. Cost more to fix than replace, even though a replacement high output marine alternator is a BOAT unit. (A unit of measure for cost of boat repairs, based on the acronym BOAT for BREAK OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND.) Ordered from Marinewarehouse.com, shipped direct from Balmar to St Martin. Order on Friday, in hand on Weds, no customs tax. You have to love St Martin!!
Install was typical for 33 year old boat. Exact replacement doesn't quite fit. Nothing an angle grinder can't fix. Laying on engine, with Cary holding flashlight, she says "Dad, that's a lot of sparks!! 3.5 hours later, the quick 1 hour fix is done. And it works!
Still not 100% convinced we solved the making oil issue, but I will keep an eye on that. Meanwhile, engine runs smoother.
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