We were due home in the next few weeks for appointments which were imperative and with Spain on a back burner for now, we made our way to Rochefort who agreed to take us for a month at a reasonable price.
It was time to investigate that dreadful noise, similar to that of dying animal, emanating from the rear of the boat when starting the engine.
Some exploration found that the bearings on the fan that draws foul air from the engine were clearly no longer bearings but small lumps of non-circular metal. Being as they are unserviceable, an entire new fan was required.
An easy swap you would have thought, oh the naivety. Beneteau discontinued stocking this part many years ago and it is now only available from Canada. That said, someone in France had started to produce a copy which I was told was rubbish. Not only that, but they were a very difficult company to work with and it’s almost impossible to purchase directly from them as they prefer to send parts to UK customers via the UK irrespective of us being 30 miles from the factory. The result being import tax, export tax and carriage which doubles the price to over £300’s …
I was advised to pop into a chandler to see if they could order one from Beneteau for me, so I entered the emporium of Quick Marine, Rochefort, literally alongside LJ. This is an Aladdin’s cave of bits which are displayed in no particular order. Even finding the counter and the owner became a voyage of discovery. Stephan, the owner was sympathetic and when I showed him the broken part he immediately said “I have one. It is here somewhere, come back tomorrow” As I left, I saw Stephan walking towards and complex pile of products which makes my garage at home look like a Japanese garden.
At 10 the next morning, I was back and there it was, a brand-new, original fan, not the nasty copy and it was still in its original box! When Stephan asked for just €50 euros, I couldn’t get the cash out of my pocket fast enough but we did return with various gifts of wine, and later, English beer for my new best friend.
We packed up the boat shut her down and headed back to UK for a couple of weeks.
1st to 6th June
Trip Mileage 37 miles
Mileage Completed 2199 miles