Boat Work in Grenada | Gori Prop Service & Splash Day!

At Clarke’s Court Boatyard in southern Grenada, Connor prepped the starboard side of SV Big Lost for an essential propulsion overhaul before their scheduled splash day. Having sailed nearly 2000 nautical miles across 78 days from Florida down the Caribbean island chain to safe harbor for hurricane season, the crew aboard Sailing Big Lost hauled out to resolve yard warranty items and mechanical wear on their Vision 444 catamaran.

With yard work wrapping up and only one working day left on the hard, the immediate priority focused on the drivetrain. Working alongside Driftwood to address a failing hatch gasket and a cracked acrylic window covered under warranty by Vision Yachts, Connor still needed expert assistance to service the folding starboard propeller before the travel trailer arrived at the slips.

Picking Up Michael Pale at BBC Beach

Before disassembling the underwater running gear, the crew drove out to BBC Beach to collect Michael Pale, who owns the sistership SV Mirror alongside his wife Sue. Michael and Sue had acquired their Vision catamaran just before Big Lost was constructed, turning them into experienced technical mentors for fellow owners traversing the islands. The 23 minute drive navigated Grenada’s narrow coastal roads, tackling steep grades and left-side traffic.

Michael had volunteered to inspect the hub assembly and guide the bearing replacement on the Gori propeller. With the haulout scheduled to conclude the following morning, having an experienced hand on the hard ensured the complex hub tolerances and safety hardware would be reassembled without delay.

Servicing the Starboard Gori Folding Propeller

Back under the hull at the boatyard, disassembly revealed flaking white material coating the metal surfaces. Michael identified the deposits as sacrificial zinc transfer that had migrated electrically and bonded across the housing. Before removing the hub, Connor shifted the drivetrain into gear to lock the shaft while Michael backed out the safety screws and retaining nut.

Holding the shaft against high breakaway resistance presents a major mechanical hurdle during haulout repairs. Rather than attempting to hold the engine flywheel with a wrench—a frustrating method that struggles against internal reduction ratios—Michael deployed a custom fabricated lever tool designed to bear against the hub without placing localized pressure on the hull. Using this jig, the team broke loose the nut, which had been torqued to 70 foot-pounds on the board.

“70 footbs. Yeah. So, it’s a lot of torque.”

Michael Pale

Sliding off the retaining rings and bearing bushings revealed the underlying condition of the drivetrain components. The outside ring exhibited minor wear, while the internal rubber interface remained smooth without shiny friction patches. Checking the splines confirmed a snug mechanical fit on the shaft with minimal play. However, comparing the old bearing bushing against a replacement part demonstrated noticeable slop. The original bushing showed a distinct worn ridge and substantial wiggle, whereas the fresh component seated firmly against the hub mating surface without walking.

Replacing Rubber Stops and Torquing Splines

Before reattaching the gear mechanism, Michael recommended coating the internal shaft splines with a dedicated marine lubricant to prevent underwater seizure and corrosion:

“There’s a really good uh it’s called TE45, TEF45. It’s like underwater. Uh it won’t like easily It’s great for this um splines.”

Michael Pale

With TEF 45 grease distributed evenly across the splines, Connor and Michael set about renewing the critical rubber stops inside the blade mechanism. These small elastomeric pads function as mechanical shock absorbers, dampening the sudden load and vibration that occurs when the folding blades fling open or shift into overdrive. Without healthy stops, repeated engagement creates excessive wear across the hub gears.

The crew smeared marine grease across the gear teeth, cycling the components back and forth to ensure smooth distribution. Connor applied thread-locking compound to the main shaft nut, threading it down until excess Loctite squeezed past the threads. After torquing the assembly tight, they secured two set screws to double-lock the fastener, installed the protective end cap, and aligned the internal index lines with the propeller housing.

Passage and Refit Metrics

Splash Day at Clarke’s Court and Motoring to Le Phare Bleu

At 8:30 in the morning, the boatyard crew at Clarke’s Court backed the tractor trailer into position, sliding heavy steel I-beam supports beneath the catamaran’s bridgedeck. As the trailer rolled down the concrete slipway into the water, a sudden jolt startled the crew on the dock when the hulls shifted aft toward the support structure:

“The whole boat is shifted back like I thought it was going to hit the I beam the rudder scared the out of me.”

Connor

Fortunately, the rudders cleared the steel beams without impact as the hulls floated free. With the catamaran resting securely in the basin, Connor climbed aboard to prepare dock lines and hang fenders along both topsides. The yard crew tended the shore lines while Connor’s crew partner launched the tender from the ramp:

“Connor is going to get on board and um get the lines ready and the fenders up on both sides and then there’ll be guys here on the dock who can man the lines and I have to go get in the dinghy and bring it to the boat and I’ll meet him out in the water.”

Big Lost Crew

After rendezvousing in the open channel outside Clarke’s Court Bay, Big Lost motored eastward toward the marina docks at Le Phare Bleu, safely afloat with a serviced propulsion system ready for the next chapter of Caribbean cruising.

Frequently Asked Questions