{"id":6604,"date":"2019-10-20T23:24:35","date_gmt":"2019-10-20T23:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/svtoucan.com\/svtblog\/?p=6604"},"modified":"2019-10-21T00:56:52","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T00:56:52","slug":"mr-fix-it-sorong-indonesia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/svtoucan.com\/svtblog\/?p=6604","title":{"rendered":"Mr Fix-It – Sorong, Indonesia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Prior to arriving in Sorong we\u2019d been in email contact with Warwick (Wick) Alliston, an ex-pat Aussie who owns Helena Marina, and also happens to be the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) Port Officer (email: wick.eon@gmail.com; ph: +62811485371). Everything we\u2019ve heard about Wick is positive, and our experience proves to be no exception – he\u2019s simply a godsend, and one of the nicest people you could ever meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s been busy improving the marina and now has a trailer capable of hauling boats out. But first we need to order the new prop and replace the front oil seal on the starboard motor, which can be done while we\u2019re still in the water.  The marina is also a long way out of town (about 5NM down river) and isn\u2019t ideal if you need to live aboard. Instead Wick suggests we go to Tampa Garam, an unfinished, failed resort project with a \u2018duck pond\u2019 just to the north of Sorong where he leases the waterfront space.   It\u2019s safe and secure – in fact, so well-hidden that it\u2019s a challenge to find the entrance (waypoint 00 50.430S, 131 14.336E) but once through the narrow dog-leg it opens out to a square block of water surrounded by the mostly unfinished bures.  There are no marina berths as such, so we med-moor by dropping the anchor and reversing back to the concrete wall where Wick is waiting to take our lines ashore. There were obviously big plans for this place – there\u2019s a huge pool complex and restaurant which still opens for business on the weekends, but during the week it\u2019s quiet and peaceful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tampa Garam ‘marina’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Our neighbour “Valkyrie” and the unfinished bures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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the pool complex is almost as big as the marina!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The only downside is the garbage that floats in on the incoming tide. Wick has plans to erect a boom gate at the entrance to keep the garbage out, but for now it\u2019s certainly not a place to run the water maker or go for a dip!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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the only downside…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Within a day Wick has found us a mechanic, Rieman. He doesn\u2019t speak much English and hasn\u2019t worked on saildrives before but with the help of diagrams and a couple of YouTube videos he seems to pick up the issues quickly and sets about unbolting the sail drive from the engine. To get access to the front oil seal, the engine needs to be moved forward so we use a pulley system attached to the boom to lift and swing the engine out of the way.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our pulley system for lifting the motor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Engine lifted and out of the way (sort of)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rieman and assistant fitting the new oil seal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This oil seal was replaced in Fiji in 2016, but when he pulls it out it\u2019s clear it wasn\u2019t seated properly – it\u2019s warped and twisted and frankly a mess. While all this is going on, Bruce is doing a huge amount of information-gathering on the internet, and discovers that the drive shaft usually wears over time too and will need re-sleeving. Rieman inspects the shaft carefully, tutting and shaking his head and we conclude it\u2019s not in good shape.\u00a0 We\u2019re highly sceptical it can be fixed here in Sorong but Rieman says no problem and later that day turns up with a new oil seal and a perfectly manufactured sleeve for the shaft. How good is that?! We\u2019re so impressed with his work that we decide to get the port motor front seal done as well – we\u2019re not sure if this is the cause of the portside oil leak but it might as well be replaced now while we\u2019ve got a good mechanic.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wick driving us around town – the only road rule is that there are no rules..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Wick is our \u2018go-to\u2019 guy for everything – fuel, laundry, spare parts, propane.\u00a0 Indonesia has different fittings on their propane tanks, so the only way to fill gas tanks here is using the decanting method with a special adapter.\u00a0 Wick does a show-and-tell at his workshop and endeavours to find us an adapter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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decanting propane into our tank. We’re going to have to get used to doing this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile his office manager, Ayu, is also helping us organise the customs paperwork to import the new prop (just a mere 16 documents required!!).  I don\u2019t know what we\u2019d do without them – we feel exceptionally lucky and very grateful to have their assistance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might be a bit premature to celebrate just yet, but it\u2019s been a hot, stressful week so we dinghy over to the new Marina Star restaurant on the waterfront and treat ourselves to a lobster dinner. Delicious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sunset at Marina Star restaurant overlooking Sorong harbour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lobster in Singapore sauce. Yum!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The busy wharf at the Marina Star. Our little dinghy tucked into the bottom right corner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All we have to do now is go out for a sea-trial to test for oil leaks and wait for the new prop to arrive from Singapore. There\u2019s a glimmer of light on the horizon\u2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prior to arriving in Sorong we\u2019d been in email contact with Warwick (Wick) Alliston, an ex-pat Aussie who owns Helena Marina, and also happens to be the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) Port Officer (email: wick.eon@gmail.com; ph: +62811485371). Everything we\u2019ve heard about Wick is positive, and our experience proves to be no exception – he\u2019s simply … <\/p>\n

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