Oh No! Catastrophe!

Difficult to believe, all was well, but as we motored to the start line disaster struck. The engine locked in neutral and we had no power to the propellor.

Christian the skipper dived overboard. Nothing wrapped around the prop.
Boards up, engine OK but a quick check of the gearbox showed all the gearbox oil lying in the sump and the drive shaft had clearly dropped back two inches.

Before we had even started the race we had to turn round. The danger being that the drive shaft could slip right out of the bearings into the sea and we would start to take in large amounts of water.

Dismay and disblief all round.

So here we are back alongside, the Yanmar engineer ( has taken a look and is phoning around.
Jerome, The French Consultant, translated everything the Spanish engineer could tell us.

Frantic discussion about whether or not it's safe to set to sea.

We seem to have two options
1. Wait maybe three days to take the gearbox out and fix the problem
or
2. Make absolutely sure the drive shaft cannot drop out of the boat and set off without an engine. hours behind the fleet.

Christian explains the situation to a distraut crew

Northern Child alone in a deserted Marina

We have to be back on the boat in one hour.
Our tracker will tell you the news.