March 2019 maintenance Fleur out of the water

20 April 2019


It was time to take Fleur out of the water to change the anodes and antifoul the hull.

We had used International cruiser 250 antifoul last year, and other than under the keel, the hull was very clean, so after a good power-wash, not much needed to be done.

The first job whilst still in the slings was to change the keel mechanism anode and service the lifting mechanism.  This is done from inside the boat, after disconnecting the mechanism from the keel underneath.

 The new anode is simply bolted into place.

The new anode viewed from under the boat.

The next job was replacing the cutless bearing.  This involves disconnecting the propshaft from the gearbox, removing the propshaft, and changing the rubber bearing which is done every 2 or 3 years.

 New bearing installed.

 Whilst the prop shaft is removed it is a good time to replace the stern seal.  The seal stops water entering the boat through the stern tube.

Also whilst the propshaft was removed the propeller and rope cutter were cleaned and new anodes fitted.

 Propeller after cleaning

We spent the next day applying the antifoul and generally cleaning, oiling and greasing various components of the boat.  The engine had been fully serviced before the winter lay up, so all was in order.

All in all a great week mainly due to the fine weather, with all shoreside  jobs done Fleur is ready for her next adventure.

MJB